A Primary care network is a structure which brings general practitioners together on an area basis, possibly with other clinicians, to address chronic disease management and prevention.
Primary care networks were introduced into the National Health Service in England as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019.
[3] By June 2019 1,259 primary care networks had been established across England, with an average population covered of about 42,000 patients, and including all but about 55 practices.
They will have 'expanded neighbourhood teams', which the plan envisages 'will comprise a range of staff such as GPs, pharmacists, district nurses, community geriatricians, dementia workers and allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and podiatrists/chiropodists, joined by social care and the voluntary sector'.
[7] Funding is provided for the employment of clinical pharmacists and social prescribing link workers in 2019/20, and subsequently for physiotherapists, physician associates and paramedics.
[11] In November 2019 NHS England announced a change in financial rules which will permit networks to meet management costs of the charities and other organisations which supply social prescriber link workers.