What is a Primary Care Network?
The definition of a Primary Care Network is to enable the provision of proactive, accessible, coordinated and more integrated primary and community care improving outcomes for patients.
They are formed around natural communities based on GP registered lists, serving populations of around 30,000 to 50,000.
The Central West Primary Care Network
The Central West Primary Care Network are a collaboration of 3 GP Practices, South King Street Medical Centre, St Paul’s Medical Centre and Adelaide Street Surgery. We serve a population of registered patients on our list equating to approximately 34,000 patients.
Networks need to be small enough to provide the personal care valued by both patients and GPs, but large enough to have impact through deeper collaboration between practices and others in the local health (community and primary care) and social care system. We are looking to provide a platform for providers of care to be sustainable into the longer term.
PCN Services
Care Home Team
The PCN Care Home Team works closely alongside local care homes, GP practices and other community professionals to deliver enhanced care to our care home residents. This team consists of:
- Occupational therapist’s work with anyone who may be experiencing physical, psychological and/or social problems, either from birth or as a result of trauma, illness or ageing. An OTs goal is to help patients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives .
- A care co-ordinator is a trained health professional who helps by consulting with patients and determining their needs, developing care plans, coordinating patient-care services, educating patients about their condition, and working with the care team to evaluate interventions.
Enhanced Access
From 1st October 2022 patients will have Enhanced Access to appointments with GPs, nurses and Health Care Assistants outside normal working hours.
The Fylde Coast NHS has arranged for additional appointments to be provided outside of normal GP practice hours by the Fylde Coast Integrated Urgent Care Service.
The service offers pre-bookable and same-day routine primary care appointments with a range of clinicians including GPs, nurses and health care assistants.
Please be aware that this is not a walk-in service – you must have an appointment booked by your GP practice
The service employs local clinicians from the Fylde Coast, where possible.
The Central West Primary Care Network offers extended hours appointments across all four of the network surgeries and at the Whitegate Drive Health Centre.
| Whitegate Drive Health Centre | Monday Evenings 6.30pm – 8.00pm |
| South King Street Medical Centre | Tuesday Evenings 6:30pm – 8:00pm |
| St Paul’s Medical Centre | Tuesday Evenings 6:30pm – 8:00pm Wednesday 6:30pm – 8:00pm |
| Adelaide Family Practice | Tuesday Evenings 6:30pm – 8:00pm |
| Whitegate Drive Health Centre | Thursday Evenings 6:30pm – 8:00pm |
| Whitegate Drive Health Centre | Friday Evenings 6:30pm – 8:00pm |
| Whitegate Drive Health Centre | Saturdays 9:00 am to 5:00pm |
| Whitegate Drive Health Centre | Sundays 9:00 am to 5:00pm |
Pharmacy Team
PCN pharmacists assist practice pharmacists in their role, providing additional support to GP practices with medication queries, clinical audits, clinical documents, and with in-depth medication reviews. In a medication review the PCN Pharmacist will have more time to discuss each medication in detail and appointments may last up to 40 minutes depending on the number of medications you are taking.
Pharmacy technicians play an important role working alongside pharmacists in general practice and in community pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians are different to pharmacists as they are not able to prescribe or make clinical decisions. Pharmacy technicians work under pharmacist supervision to ensure effective and efficient use of medicines by both patients and prescribers.
First Contact physiotherapist
You can book an appointment directly with an experienced physiotherapist via your GP practice reception which means you won’t need to wait for an appointment or referral from a GP.
This means you can get better and quicker care, while GP appointments can be freed up for patients with other conditions.
You may be eligible for an appointment with a physiotherapist if you have new symptoms of the following problems:
- all soft tissue injuries, sprains or sports injuries
- arthritis – any joint
- possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons, or bones, e.g. tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains
- spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain, and neck pain
- spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, e.g. pins and needles or numbness
- changes to walking
- post-orthopaedic surgery
The physiotherapist will:
- assess you and diagnose what’s happening
- give expert advice on how best to manage your condition
To access a first contact physiotherapist, contact the our reception team.
Wellbeing Team
Social Prescribing link workers
Social prescribing is a way of connecting patients (18+) to services and social groups in the local area in order to improve their overall health and wellbeing. Social prescribing link workers can spend time with a patient, finding out what really matters to them, and putting them in touch with the people and activities that might help them to feel better. Our link workers understand the social, economic, and environmental factors that affect our health, and have a good knowledge of supportive local resources in Lytham St Annes and the wider area. They work holistically to help patients take control of their own health and wellbeing.
The groups and activities that link workers connect patients with include friendship groups, walking groups, choirs, gardening, and volunteering opportunities. Link workers can support patients to the first session of a group if they feel nervous about going alone. Link workers can also support patients to navigate the services and organisations available for issues such as debt, housing, domestic violence, and employment.
People that might be helped by social prescribing include people who are lonely or isolated, unpaid carers, and anyone whose health is affected by non-medical issues.
Associate Psychological Practitioners
The Associate Psychological Practitioners (APPs) offer wellbeing interventions to patients who are struggling with mild mental health concerns such as low mood, low level anxiety, sleep problems. The APPs can provide advice and support with mindfulness, stress management, and learning coping skills.
Mental Health Practitioner’s
Mental health practitioners support patients (both adults and children) with their mental health, typically seeing patients referred to them by their GP colleagues.
They work with patients to support shared decision making about self-management, enable access to treatment services, and where appropriate conduct brief psychological interventions.
The role will involve liaison with practice clinicians, as well as liaison with secondary care, social workers and voluntary sector staff, where appropriate, and making best use of third sector and other community opportunities for promotion of patient wellbeing and maintenance of mental health.
Paramedics
Increased pressure and demand on primary care services have been a catalyst for more opportunities for Paramedics to work in this environment.
First contact paramedics are autonomous, diagnostic clinicians with experience in handling undifferentiated and unpredictable cases; conducting an array of clinical assessment, diagnostic, and treatment activities; and directing and signposting care and have been transitioning into enhanced and advanced practice roles within General Practice for a number of years.
