Have your say!

We want to hear from you. Find out about below about our patient consultation - running until 12th May 2025.

You can watch the video to the right or you can scroll to read more information.

We look forward to hearing from you!

What is a Primary Care
Network?

Primary Care Networks (or PCNs) are groups of GP practices who work with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary organisations to deliver a range of health and care services to people in their local areas.

PCNs were announced as part of NHS England’s Long Term Plan in January 2019, and began operating from 1st July 2019.

They were put in place to improve and extend the range of services available in the community, and to join up the care that is provided from different organisations.

By working together with a range of local providers, including community services, social care and the voluntary sector, it is hoped that GP practices and their communities will be able to make resources go further.

Each PCN looks after approximately 30,000 – 50,000 patients (though some, like Worcester City, is larger approximately 126,000).

They offer care on a scale which is small enough for patients to get the continuous and personalised care they value, but large enough to be resilient through working in partnership with others in the local health and care system.

Whats changed?

Some of our local Primary Care services have recently changed — and we’d really value your input to help shape our local healthcare strategy.

Enhanced Access appointments are now available to patients across the PCN outside of normal opening hours. These include routine services such as screenings, vaccinations, and health checks.

What do these changes mean for you?

Each PCN is developing its own strategy for the types of appointments offered during Enhanced Access hours. These plans are shaped by local patient needs, existing services in the area, and — most importantly — feedback from patients like you.

The goal? To create a personalised service that truly reflects what the local community wants and needs. This will include a mix of face-to-face and remote appointments, delivered by a range of healthcare professionals to provide the highest quality care.

Appointments will initially be offered by a team that includes GPs, Practice Nurses, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, and Health Care Assistants. As the service evolves, additional specialists such as Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, and other members of the wider Primary Care team may also become involved.

The types of appointments available could include:

  • Smear tests

  • Pill and HRT checks

  • Blood tests

  • Chronic disease reviews

  • Support for musculoskeletal issues

  • NHS Health Checks

  • General health and wellbeing clinics

What are we asking from you?

We are seeking input from local patients to help shape the future of Enhanced Access services in your area.

Your feedback is important to us. We're particularly interested in how you would like to use Enhanced Access services, and how we can improve them to better meet your needs.

While we originally held a consultation in 2022, we are now reopening the consultation period to explore how we can further enhance the service. This is a valuable opportunity for you to influence the development of Enhanced Access Services across Worcester.

We would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete our survey—and please feel free to share it with others in your community.