Primary Care Networks (PCNs)

• New structure implemented in September 2024 with 15 Community Pharmacy Engagement Leads appointed covering localities/neighbourhoods providing parity with GP Clinical leads: Community Pharmacy PCN Engagement Leads
• Due to the changes to the NHS infrastructure the leads are only employed until 31 March 2026.
• Core role is to build strong relationships, improve services, and demonstrate the value of community pharmacy within local PCNs and wider neighbourhood system focused on following goals:

 

• Immediate Focus (Next 2-3 Months):

In the immediate term, Engagement Leads must drive local action and collaboration by sharing best practices (SOPs, referrals) and actively promoting pharmacy services through engagement with GPs, INTs, ICB teams, and schools, while also collecting evidence on inappropriate NHS 111 referrals (between June 16 and July 14) and defining and pursuing specific local priorities such as promoting pharmacy in INTs, utilising service data, enhancing GP communication (e.g., via AccuRx), and strengthening ties with Clinical Directors.

• Medium-Term Focus (Next 6-9 Months):

Looking to the medium-term, the focus shifts to demonstrating impact and value by collecting and reporting on improved collaboration, communication, and service delivery, with key outcomes aiming to boost Pharmacy First referrals, address service blockers (e.g., for BP, contraception uptake, or IT issues), improve implementation of the depression reviews, and enhance two-way communication and feedback loops between pharmacies and GPs.

CP PCN Engagement Leads – who they are and Roles and Responsibilities

In Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) the ICB want to do even more to have community pharmacies as full partners in Primary Care Networks. During April, May and June 2023 the ICB invited community pharmacy professionals to put themselves forward as Community Pharmacy (CP) Primary Care Network (PCN) Engagement Leads which were successfully recruited  to work two days a month (with the exception of August and December) across all 34 PCNs in Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) that completed in early June 2024. 

The evaluation of the East of England Community PCN Engagement Leads is available to view.

The CPH evaluation of PCN Pharmacist community pharmacy provider model is available to view.

Hertfordshire and West Essex (HWE) Integrated Care Board (ICB) emailed all pharmacy contractors on Friday 15 September 2023 to launch the Community Pharmacy Integration programme in 2023/24 and 2024/25 between HWE ICB and the community pharmacy contractors in Hertfordshire and West Essex. This is applicable to all participating community pharmacy contractors (including distant selling pharmacies) operating within HWE ICB geographical boundaries.

The key objectives of the programme are to support the priorities identified with the HWE ICB Strategy and the Primary Care Strategic Delivery Plan 2023-2026 encouraging better integrated working of community pharmacy within primary care.

The email included a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines the objectives of the programme and obligations of both parties to engage with this programme of work across the next 18 months from 1 October 2023. Each pharmacy premises that returns a completed MOU and completes the online declaration form agreeing the simple actions required will receive a one off payment of £1500 up front.

In order to sign up for the programme, community pharmacy contractors must complete the following actions by 11.59pm on Monday 30 October 2023:

• Change information in the sections highlighted in yellow to details of the community pharmacy and signing the MOU document. Email a copy to hwetraininghub@nhs.net;
• Complete the online declaration form by 
• In order to facilitate payment, please can ensure that when you submit the MOU to the above email address to submit a copy of your bank statement header (without any transactional detail) in pdf format to include the following information: Sort code; Bank account number and Bank account name.

Any claims received after this date will not be processed.

If you are part of a group of pharmacies or own multiple pharmacies and would prefer to submit your declaration and MOU via your Head Office/owners once then please respond to this email (hwetraininghub@nhs.net) and they will work with you to facilitate this.

In the case of signing on behalf of multiple pharmacies, please undertake the following actions:

• Sign one MOU (yellow areas should be updated with head office/owner details) but must include within the MOU an appendix that lists the pharmacy premises addresses and f codes that are included and email to hwetraininghub@nhs.net.
• Bank statement header (without any transactional detail) in pdf format to include the following information: Sort code / Bank account number / Bank account name and email to hwetraininghub@nhs.net.
• Complete one online declaration form with head office details but include all the ODS codes for all the pharmacies but put a dash/hyphen or n/a in the boxes where it states Details of Lead and Deputy Contact.
• Email to hwetraininghub@nhs.net a list of all the community pharmacy premises with the details of a lead (name and email address) and a deputy (name and email address) as a minimum. If phone numbers can be included where appropriate/applicable that would be helpful.

If you have any questions, please contact HWE ICB via email: hwetraininghub@nhs.net.

The following resources have been developed by Community Pharmacy Hertfordshire (CPH) to support Community Pharmacy PCN Engagement Leads in their roles:

• PCN Engagement Leads Toolkit
  A comprehensive guide to help Leads navigate and maximise their impact within PCNs.

• Time Savings for GP Surgeries – Community Pharmacy Services A4 Crib Sheet
  A quick-reference summary showing how pharmacy services can reduce GP workload.

• Supporting GP Practices – Community Pharmacy Services
  An overview of key pharmacy services and how they align with general practice needs.

• (For Community Pharmacy Use Only) Maximising Workforce for Revenue – Community Pharmacy Services
  Guidance on making the most of your pharmacy team to support service delivery and income.

• (For Community Pharmacy Use Only) Maximising Workforce for Revenue – A4 Crib Sheet
  A concise version of the above resource for quick reference.