Powering progress in Wales primary care

Digital is at the forefront of efficient healthcare delivery

The team at Folkestone, Hythe & Rural Primary Care Network (PCN), similar to a cluster in Wales, have embraced technology in helping them to transform the way they deliver services. The network of 7 practices have created new care pathways for their population of around 48,000 patients creating 10,000 additional appointments across the PCN. “The drive for the NHS is to encourage practices to club together, to benefit from economies of scale, to think differently about how we deliver services – and I think that our PCN has really embraced that, particularly around digital transformation”, commented Stephen Weller, Managing Business Partner at New Lyminge Surgery. Underpinned by PCN Hub Using EMIS Web PCN Hub (currently in development for Wales) has enabled the team at Folkestone, Hythe & Rural to create a centralised hub for multidisciplinary practitioners. This hub, accessed via single sign-on has increased service capacity to relieve pressure from stretched GPs and is enabling patients to be seen more quickly by an appropriate clinician. 14

Given the challenges of increased patient demand and a depleted GP workforce, we quickly realised that our operating model had to evolve . Working together as practices enabled us to develop a system that improves patient access and offers healthcare provision more efficiently .”

Dr Aravinth Balachandran, Clinical Director, Folkestone, Hythe & Rural PCN, GP Partner at Oaklands Health Centre