Across Gloucestershire, groups of GP practices work together and in partnership with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local areas to meet the needs of patients. These groups are known as Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
The Forest of Dean PCN was established in 2019 and provides joined up care to around 67,000 patients. There are currently nine GP surgeries in this PCN and it is the largest of the 15 PCNs in Gloucestershire. It is also considerably larger than the maximum PCN size recommended by NHS England (50,000 patients).
Although the PCN configuration has enabled the practices to work successfully together on many projects, such as delivering COVID-19 vaccinations, its size also creates constraints and challenges for the practices, for example, finding solutions that suit all nine practices and the populations they serve.
Following approval from NHS Gloucestershire on 11 November 2024, the practices have agreed to separate into two new PCNs of approximately equal size from 1 December 2024:
- West Forest of Dean PCN (comprising five GP practices)
- Forest Green PCN (comprising four GP practices)
The two new PCNs believe that this configuration will help their services to become more resilient, efficient and sustainable going forward.
The smaller PCN structures will allow the practices to tailor the services they offer more appropriately to meet the needs of their patients, in turn, helping them to operate more efficiently.
The new logistics will also help Clinical Directors, who lead the PCNs, to provide better oversight and appropriate scrutiny of the staff and services. With more flexibility around staffing structures and recruitment, practices will be able to reduce overhead costs and improve the services they provide to meet the needs of their patients.
Most of these changes relate to back-office systems so patients will not notice any difference in services. However, they will allow administrative and clinical resources and expertise to be used more flexibly, in the best way to provide excellent care to patients. Patients may find that out of hours appointment options will be closer to the surgery that they are registered with.
We would like to reassure patients that general medical services will continue to run as usual from your current surgery building and you can access services in the same way as you do now. You will also remain registered on your practice’s patient list, so you don’t need to take any actions.
There are likely to be some changes over time to additional services offered at a PCN-wide level. These will be clearly communicated to patients.
West Forest of Dean PCN
- Blakeney Surgery
- Coleford Family Doctors
- Lydney Practice
- Severnbank Surgery
- Yorkley & Bream Practice
Forest Green PCN
- Dockham Road Surgery
- Drybrook Surgery
- Forest Health Care
- Mitcheldean Surgery
If you have any queries, please contact your Practice.
