This practice is part of the Withington and Fallowfield Primary Care Network (PCN). It is comprised of the following practices with a total population of around 52,000 people:

  • Bodey Medical Centre
  • Mauldeth Medical Centre
  • Borchardt Medical Centre
  • Al-Shifa Medical Centre
  • Ladybarn Group Practice
  • Fallowfield Medical Practice

As the NHS workload gets more complicated, medicine is becoming more of a team sport. To help us going forward Primary Care Networks (PCNs) were created. They are now in their third year and go from strength to strength. As members of PCNs we are required to deliver a set of national service specifications.

To do this we are expected to provide a wider range of primary care services to our patients, involving a wider set of staff roles than might be feasible in our individual practices. Examples include first contact physiotherapy, extended access and social prescribing – all of which are already up and running in our PCN. We shortly expect to recruit extra paramedics, pharmacists, mental health workers, physiotherapists and physician associates to help us provide care more effectively than ever.

The NHS expects us to provide a set number of services via our PCN’s. Two started in 2020/21: structured medication reviews and enhanced health in care homes. A further four are also set to follow very soon – anticipatory care (with community services), personalised care, cardiovascular disease case-finding, and locally agreed action to tackle inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic has understandably delayed progress a little in the last year.

PCN’s are also be the footprint around which other community-based teams will develop further, and our community and mental health services already configure their services around our PCN boundaries.

Current PCN Services

  • COVID-19 Vaccination – we have grouped together with our Didsbury PCN colleagues to provide the COVID-19 vaccine centre at Owens Park, 293 Wilmslow Road, M14 6HD. Due to its size and complexity this is a service that individual practices would have struggled to do.
  • Care Home Team – we have a dedicated care home team producing high quality proactive care to our care home residents.
  • Extended Hours and COVID-19 Hot Clinics – for a little while now we have provided extra access to Primary Care at weekends and in the evenings.
  • Pharmacist Team – our PCN pharmacists greatly assist us in safer and more effective prescribing.
  • First Contact Physio – the ability to get assessed directly by a physiotherapist for musculoskeletal complaints without having to go through a GP first.

The NHS is planning for the role of the PCN to increase in the next few years with plan being for us to offer a wider range of services closer to home in the next few years. This will hopefully allow us to provide a better level of care, closer to your home.