The development funding available for Primary Care Networks (PCNs) is a tremendous opportunity. But how to make best use of the money? How should PCNs focus their development plans to ensure the money has the maximum impact? This week I consider three ways PCNs can ensure they make the most of the new money.

1.Get Capacity

The one thing that can accelerate the development of a new entity like a PCN more than anything else is capacity. It is virtually impossible for new PCN Clinical Directors to have the time to do everything that is needed to be done in the limited number of sessions they have available. They need someone to be enacting the decisions made, delivering on what has been agreed, and doing the work required to turn ideas into real change. One of the biggest frustrations of the new PCN Clinical Directors is lack of time, and additional capacity in the form of a project manager is the best way of overcoming this.

While some PCNs may be forward thinking enough to invest some of their (recurrent) £1.50 in project management support, many are reluctant to commit what is effectively practice money so quickly. The development fund gives PCNs the opportunity to try a project manager on a fixed-term basis, and then down the line if they find it is a worthwhile investment they can consider making the post permanent using the £1.50.

2.Focus on Delivery

There is something intangible about “development”. But for any new entity (and PCNs are no different) success is dependent upon their ability to deliver. Attending the right meetings, saying the right things to the right people, and learning about how the system works are all well and good, but ultimately if the PCN is not able to deliver anything, it will not be a success. The most important part of development is learning how to deliver.

The best way to learn how to deliver is to deliver something! Don’t think about development as something that is done before you start delivering. Think of it as what you learn while you are trying to deliver. So in the PCN development plan identify what you want to deliver, and make sure you include the resources necessary to make it happen.

3.Create Benefits for Practices

The most important stakeholders in PCNs are the member practices. If the member practices believe in the PCN and its ability to make a difference, then the PCN is much more likely to be successful. Conversely, if practices are working to keep the PCN at arms-length, meaningful change is going to be very difficult to realise.

It is therefore important to demonstrate as early as possible to practices that working together can create significant benefits for the practices and their patients. This is particularly important if the experience to date has been a set of painful meetings to create a network agreement, and then pressure to deliver extended hours. It is perfectly reasonable for the development plan to include work that will not only deliver benefit for member practices, but also include the resources to achieve it.