PCNs urged to meet with MPs ahead of a general election

PCN clinical directors (CDs) have been urged to meet with their local MPs and candidates for the upcoming general election to communicate the priorities for primary care.

At the Pulse PCN Birmingham event on 24 April, Dr Paul Bowen, GP and PCN CD at Middlewood Partnership PCN, told delegates that his experience of doing this was ‘incredible’ and encouraged others to arrange a meeting.

In a panel discussion on the future of PCNs, he said that he was struck by the lack of knowledge of the MP and two other candidates in his area, in relation to general practice and PCNs, saying that it was most likely because general practice is not considered a specialism.

He said the meeting was ‘absolutely’ a worthwhile exercise because he was able to educate them about the workings of general practice and the pressures the sector is facing.

‘Go arrange a meeting,’ he said. ‘It’s incredible. The prospective Labour MP was going to talk to [shadow health secretary] Wes Streeting and the current Tory MP is already talking to [chancellor] Jeremy Hunt off the back of it.

‘I think we underestimate how much influence we have with voters in our areas, and I would suggest that now is the time to use it,’ he added.  

The panel called on the next government to provide some stability for the sector, including a long-term view for primary care, rather than a one, two or three year view.

Dr Laura Mount, CD for Central and West Warrington PCN, said: ‘I would like some investment in continuity and quality rather than short term quick fixes and ideas.’

Future of CDs

In the same panel discussion, the role of the CD was discussed following the addition of a performance management function under the new contract, and the provision of NHS 111 data to manage diversions from the practice.

Dr Steve Laitner, GP and freelance health consultant, said that it would be a ‘great disservice’ if the role of CD was now thought of as a ‘commissioner and performance manager’.

‘That would kill a good idea,’ he said.

Dr Dan Bunstone, GP principle at Chapelford Medical Centre and CD at Warrington Innovation Network, added that there was a ‘power vacuum’ after CCGs were disbanded, which now often falls on the role of the CD to pick up.

‘We’ve got a bit of a hangover from CCGs – a power vacuum – because place doesn’t know who to go to, systems don’t know who to go to, other than the CD of a PCN. And actually, a lot of things we get asked probably aren’t my job on paper, it’s contractual issues,’ he said.

‘We need to be about collaboration, about dreaming and doing things differently, being strategic. Not necessarily around marking people’s homework. There’s probably a job to do there, but I don’t think that’s necessarily going to fit perfectly well in our job.’