Primary care minister Stephen Kinnock to give keynote at PCN London

PCN leaders will have a chance to quiz primary care minister Stephen Kinnock at a Pulse PCN event in London this week.

Mr Kinnock, who is the minister of state for care, will be speaking at the event and will accept questions from the audience.

The session will include the impact of the new GP contract, details of which were recently revealed by NHS England, including an increase in pay for GPs employed through Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) and a removal of the ringfence around these roles.

It comes after PCN leaders have expressed concern over the loss of local support following the announcement that NHS England will be folded into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

PCN leaders have also recently expressed concerns around the uncertainty of the role of networks in the future NHS, given the recent changes and the move towards neighbourhood healthcare.

The conference, taking place on 19 March in Hammersmith, London, will also cover topics including hiring GPs through the ARRS, pharmacy first and a panel discussion on the upcoming 10-year health plan.

Delegates will hear from Royal College of Nursing chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, and chair of the National Pharmacy Association, Nick Kaye.

The full agenda can be found via the Pulse PCN events page.

Image credit: Stephen Kinnock ©House of Commons, image resized