A nurse in Leeds is to become clinical director of a Primary Care Network (PCN) when they take effect from July 1.
Nurse Andrea Mann, Managing Partner at Colton Mill and The Grange Medical Centre will be Clinical Director of the Cross Gates Leeds Primary Care Network.
Having worked as a general practice nurse for 17 years and been a MANAGING partner at the practice for four years Andrea, chose the role because she could see the benefit that PCNs bring for better patient care and joining up local services. Her practice has employed a pharmacist and shared another pharmacist for THREE years with a neighbouring practice and saw a real benefit for patients.
The Cross Gates PCN will be part of the East Leeds Collaborative (made up of 3PCNs) with an approximate 95,000 population altogether or around 30-32,000 patients each. They will work together to join up care more effectively to deliver new services. They will have access to additional funding to recruit new workforce roles such as pharmacists, paramedics, social prescribers and physios. Andrea is keen to ensure their PCN link up more effectively with voluntary sector and social care partners.
Mrs Mann, who is also Head of Nursing for Quality and Governance at NHS Leeds CCG, said: “Over the next five years we could have a really wide range of workforce roles so patients will be able to access a variety of professionals for different health conditions. Where we have higher prevalence of for example a specific long term conditions we can tailor the models of care and services available to those populations.
In her CCG role, she has been involved in developing and implementing a Leeds General Practice Nurse strategy that aims to develop nurse leaders, integrate nursing services, improve quality and offer more student nurse placements into general practice. Andrea said “ I will continue to support this strategy across her PCN”
“We will also be engaging more with our patients, community services, third sector volunteers, social care and patients, we will build relationships with organisations around our populations and start to see better care and outcomes for their personal needs as the models develop.”
The PCNs are currently getting practices together to look at how they will deliver extended hours and have a network agreement in place ready for 1 July. Their next priority will move towards looking at data for their population, different workforce and employment models.
Mrs Mann added: “It’s an exciting role to have because it’s new and I hope to be able to shape the role as a Nurse Clinical Director and inspire other nurses to consider these roles at PCN level. There is so much we can do with it to improve the care for our patients across economies of scale. There are a lot more workforce roles to develop in this model but individual practices may not be able afford them. I’m keen to bring my skills to the table as a nurse leader, practice partner and from a management perspective to help shape the future of general practice.”