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We’ve followed the journey of Dr Farzana Hussain, GP lead at The Project Surgery in East London, former 2019 GP of the Year closely over the last three years. Following her recent decision to step down as a Clinical Director, we wanted to revisit her story and find out the reason for her change in direction, particularly while the primary care landscape begins to shift and change once more. In this week’s episode, Farzana gives a typically open and honest account of her reasons for stepping away from Clinical Directorship, where she feels the challenges have been and where they lie ahead, what she has enjoyed most during the last three years, her hopes for the future on a personal level and for general practice, and what new (and seasoned) clinical leaders may need to be mindful of as we step into the brave new world of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs).

Introduction (0:09)

Farzana’s decision to step down (0:32)

Moving away from PCNs? (2:15)

Where does the problem lie with PCNs? (2:39)

The tension between central expectation and priorities on the ground (4:21)

What needs to change to enable PCNs to thrive, particularly within the ICS context? (6:32)

Getting the most from PCN investment (8:51)

Adoption of a place-based approach (10:23)

Is a change in mindset needed, where PCNs are concerned? (12:02)

Partnering with local agencies and an increased community-based focus (14:19)

Concern for the future (15:34)

Advice for new PCN Clinical Directors starting out now (16:42)

Farzana’s top three lessons learned (19:08)

What’s next? (20:50)

Our PCN Plus online programme is now open for registrations! Aimed at new PCN Clinical Directors, our team of experts will deliver training on all the need to knows, including (and not limited to); establishment of a PCN vision, communications, managing finances and workforce, and preparations for integrated care systems. If you are interested in learning more, or you’re keen to sign up, please see our dedicated webpage or you can contact Ben for further information.