Our PCN team: who they are and where you’ll see them

You might not know it, but Regent Medical Centre is part of a wider team.

It’s called a Primary Care Network (PCN). It brings local GP practices together so we can offer you extra, expert services to help keep you healthy and well.

For patients, this means more ways to get help – and more places where care can happen.

Our Primary Care Network

In our area, there are two Primary Care Networks.

The networks work together, as Gosforth and Jesmond Health (GJH).

So if you see a member of staff wearing uniform with the blue, orange and green circles logo, you know it’s one of the PCN team.

Where might you see the PCN team?

The Primary Care Network team works all across Gosforth and Jesmond. There are different places you might see them.

At our GP practice

Many network staff have clinics here at the practice.

You might:

• have a medication review with a Clinical Pharmacist
• speak to a Social Prescriber about support in your community
• see a Health and Wellbeing Coach

These appointments feel just like a normal visit to the surgery – they just involve a different expert.

At our Network Hub at 200 Osborne Road in Jesmond

200 Osborne Road is one of Jesmond Health Partnership’s sites, but it’s also home to many of our network services, including Same Day Access and Enhanced Access.

Same Day Access is an extra service that runs across all practices. It provides additional appointments with GPs, Nurse Associates and Advanced Paramedic Practitioners.

If you need to be seen today, and we’re fully booked up, you might be offered a Same Day Access appointment with the network team.

There are also special appointments put aside for kids, with an Advanced Paediatric Paramedic Practitioner.

We also offer Enhanced Access appointments in the evenings, and on Saturdays at 200 Osborne Road. This might be for a routine GP appointment, or a specialist service like cervical screening or a contraceptive coil implant.

Both types of appointments give you more opportunities to be seen close to home, at times that suit your life.

At home

If you cannot get to the surgery, the Primary Care Network team can come to you.

Home visits are carried out by trained clinicians, including Paramedic, Nurses or Pharmacists. They can:

• assess new health problems
• check long-term conditions
• review medication and care needs

The team also work closely with patients who live in care homes in the area. This helps make care more fair and accessible for everyone.

In the community

Some support happens outside of clinical settings.

For example, Social Prescribers and Wellbeing Coaches may meet you:

• at local groups or activities
• in community venues
• or sometimes over the phone

Their role is to help with things that affect your health, such as loneliness, stress, or lifestyle.

What does the PCN team do?

The PCN team includes a range of specialists who work alongside our Practice team

• Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians help you get the most from your medicines, keep you safe, and support long-term conditions
• Health and Wellbeing Coaches give practical advice on staying healthy, managing weight, living with type 2 diabetes, and supporting mental wellbeing
• Advanced Practitioners and Nurse Associates provide care where you need it most – at home or in the practice – including urgent appointments for children and adults
• Social Prescribing Link Workers help with social, emotional, and practical needs, including connecting patients with learning disabilities to extra support

You can meet the GJH staff and read their profiles at the bottom of our team page, or visit the GJH website.

Why this approach helps patients

By working together as a Primary Care Network, we can:

• offer more appointments in different locations
• match you with the right professional for your needs
• provide care closer to home

The key thing to remember

Wherever you are seen, your care is still part of our GP practice.

The GJH team works closely with us here at Regent Medical Centre to make sure your care stays joined up and personal.