Dene and Stour Valleys PCN

Since the NHS was created in 1948, the population has grown and people are living longer. Many people are living with long term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease or suffer with mental health issues and may need to access their local health services more often.

To meet these needs, GP practices are working together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local areas in groups of practices known as primary care networks (PCNs).

PCNs build on the core of current primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care. Clinicians describe this as a change from reactively providing appointments to proactively care for the people and communities they serve. Where emerging PCNs are in place in parts of the country, there are clear benefits for patients and clinicians.

PCNs are small enough to provide the personal care valued by both people and GPs, but large enough to have impact and economies of scale through better collaboration between GP practices and others in the local health and social care system.

PCNs are led by clinical directors who may be a GP, general practice nurse, clinical pharmacist or other clinical profession working in general practice.

We want to support patients to make informed decisions about their health care and to connect them to most appropriate health or social care provider to ensure health care that is timely safe and all encompassing.

Watch a short animation that explains the concept of PCNs and how this new way of working enables health and other services to work together to provide better access for patients.

Clinical Pharmacists are engaged in multiple activities and you will most likely interact with them in the form of a medication review. In these reviews, they will ensure the appropriate blood tests and monitoring has been completed for your medication and review your current medication for appropriateness. This is your chance as a patient to have an in-depth discussion about your medication and any questions or concerns. They have a strong relationship with your GP and any suggestions for your care will be as a multi-disciplinary approach.

Sukhdeep Sidu

Sukhi has been the clinical pharmacist at Shipston Medical Centre since December 2019.

Her day to day role involves completing medication reviews with patients, helping with any medication-related queries from patients or clinicians and conducting audits to help improve the quality and safety of medication prescribing.

Kavita Pallan

Kavita is the PCN lead clinical pharmacist and an independent prescriber. She works across all 3 practices in the PCN.

Her role involves working closely with the PCN management team and GPs within the member practices to ensure that PCN priorities are addressed. She co-ordinates the work of PCN pharmacy team; and provides mentorship and support to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

Kavita also conducts clinics which typically involve minor illness management, chronic disease reviews, medication reviews, medication queries and audits to ensure safe and effective prescribing.

Manjot Kaur

The role of First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs) in Primary Care is to assess patients with soft tissue, muscle and joint pain and to decide on the most appropriate management pathway. FCPs are physiotherapists with expertise in the assessment and management of Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Types of conditions an FCP will see.

• Joint pains and arthritis.
• Soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains and other soft tissue injuries e.g. ankle, shoulder, wrist sprains, heel pain.
• Back and neck pain which may radiate into the arm or leg including nerve type symptoms such as pins and needles and numbness.

FCPs do not see children under the age of 16, housebound patients, those who are acutely unwell, or those with neurological or respiratory conditions.

How do I see an FCP?

In most cases, you do not need to see your GP with a musculoskeletal condition, so the reception team may suggest that you see the FCP instead of the GP. You can also request an appointment directly with the FCP through your doctor’s reception team. This will take place within the GP practice and will provide you with a thorough assessment and advice about the best way forward for you.

Louise Boulton

I qualified form Coventry University in 2006 with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy.

In 2016, I completed a Masters Degree specialising in Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment.

I have 15 years’ experience of assessing a wide variety of orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions, I have worked across both the NHS and Private Practice.

My role as a First contact Physiotherapist (FCP) is to assess patients with soft tissue, muscle and joint pain and to plan the most appropriate management pathway.

By seeing an FCP you will have access to specialist musculoskeletal assessment. If further Physiotherapy input is required, you will be referred to the main physiotherapy service at the hospital.

Physician Associates are trained and qualified to diagnose and treat a wide range of health conditions. They work alongside GPs to provide care to people, particularly those with long-term conditions who often benefit from being able to see the same healthcare professional.

They can help with:

• Diagnosing and treating health conditions
• Arranging tests and analysing results
• Performing physical examinations

What is social prescribing?

Social prescribers work collaboratively with general practices to support patients in a holistic way. They empower patients to take control of their own wellbeing by focusing on their strengths, needs and aspirations. Social prescribers can connect people to community groups and services for practical and emotional support, signpost to relevant services, resources or support groups and support existing community groups and helping patients to start new ones. Social prescribers are able to give patients the time to identify what matters to them.

How can a Social Prescriber benefit me as a patient:

• Support with managing low mood, bereavement and loss
• Carer support
• Diet and/or lifestyle e.g. exercise, sleep, healthy eating etc.
• Self-care and psychoeducation
• Support with managing long-term health conditions
• Support getting into work, volunteering and social activities
• Family and friend relationships and counselling
• Support with financial worries, benefits and housing difficulties
• Loneliness and isolation
• Taking up a new interest or hobby
• Support to access services in the community to tackle loneliness and isolation

Who can refer?

(Please note this varies in different practices)

All surgery staff including:

• GP’s
• Nurses
• Healthcare Assistants
• Reception team
• Clinical Pharmacists
• Care Co-ordinators
• Health and Wellbeing Coaches
• Physicians Associates
• Physiotherapists

Wendy Waters

Jacqui Close

Kate Nelson

Pharmacy technicians play an important role, complementing clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and other members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.

Pharmacy technicians are different to clinical pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions, instead working under supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines.

Pharmacy technicians’ core role responsibilities will cover clinical, and technical and administrative categories. The purpose of the role is to lead improvements to maximise safe, cost effective best practice in prescribing to improve the quality of patient care.

Kamaljeet Sangha

Kam is our Pharmacy Technician and helps support the Pharmacist team.

Kam covers all 3 practices in the PCN.

Kim Wakefield

I am a Pharmacy Technician. I qualified in February 2023. I have previously worked in community care.

I will be working with the GPs and Pharmacists at Hastings House Surgery to help you get the best out of your medication.

I work as part of the wider practice and PCN team to support patients’ wellbeing.

Ginny Tyler RNLD, DipNHM, MSc, PGCHE

I trained as a nurse for people with learning disabilities in the early 1980s and quickly become part of a huge transformation in the way services were delivered for that group of people. I guess this triggered a passion for positive change and ever since I have worked in developing innovative services across a wide range of different providers.

Coming to Dene and Stour Valleys PCN is a new stage in my journey and I am delighted to be part of a vibrant and talented team. Its a pleasure to be working with GP practices again and to help improve the way primary care is provided for patients.