Primary Care Network services - consultation response

Background of consultation

NHSE/I sought views on draft service specifications for PCNs. The specifications describe the detail of services to be delivered from April 2020, across the following areas:

• structured medication review and optimisation
• enhanced health in care homes
• anticipatory care
• personalised care
• supporting early cancer diagnosis.

Our response

• We are surprised and disappointed that there is no reference to children and young people’s health in these draft service specifications. 
• Each of these service areas apply to children and young people in some manner. For example, children and young people may be prescribed multiple medicines or have long term conditions, they may be eligible for social prescribing or personal health budgets or they may be living in care homes.
• We are concerned that this omission could limit the impact that these new services have on achieving the goal of more personalised and coordinated care for the whole population.

Our recommendations

• NHSE/I should ensure that service specifications are drafted to encourage PCNs to offer better care to children and young people in their local area.
• NHSE/I should consult more widely in developing and finalising these services specifications, and in future service development. This should include children and young people, their representatives and community paediatricians.

We respond to a wide range of consultations to ensure that the College’s position, and ultimately children’s health, is represented. Members can get involved in current consultations by contacting the Health Policy team: health.policy.rcpch.ac.uk