Our PCN Team: Arden Primary Care Network

Budbrooke Medical Centre

The Pool Medical Centre

Henley-in-Arden Medical Centre

Lapworth Surgery

The Arrow Surgery

Tanworth-in-Arden Medical Practice

Alcester Health Centre

Since the NHS was created in 1948, the population has grown and people are living longer. Many people are living with long term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease or suffer with mental health issues and may need to access their local health services more often.

To meet these needs, GP practices are working together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local areas in groups of practices known as primary care networks (PCNs).

PCNs build on the core of current primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care. Clinicians describe this as a change from reactively providing appointments to proactively care for the people and communities they serve. Where emerging PCNs are in place in parts of the country, there are clear benefits for patients and clinicians.

PCNs are small enough to provide the personal care valued by both people and GPs, but large enough to have impact and economies of scale through better collaboration between GP practices and others in the local health and social care system.

PCNs are led by clinical directors who may be a GP, general practice nurse, clinical pharmacist or other clinical profession working in general practice.

We want to support patients to make informed decisions about their health care and to connect them to most appropriate health or social care provider to ensure health care that is timely safe and all encompassing.

Who can you see at Budbrooke Medical Centre: Furhan Ansari – Clinical Pharmacist

Clinical Pharmacists are medicine management specialists that are trained to assist patients in all aspects of medications and reviews of their conditions.  They have a strong relationship with your GP and any suggestions for your care will be as a multi-disciplinary approach. Furhan offers telephone and face to face appointments and his appointments can be booked online and via reception, including

• Medication reviews
• Ongoing depression/Anxiety and associated medication
• Hypertension and blood pressure monitoring
• New medication from secondary care
• Extensions of sick notes
• Non complex asthma reviews
• Medication switches

Click here to book an appointment with the Clinical Pharmacist 

Who can you see at Budbrooke Medical Centre: Joanne Smith – Advanced Physiotherapist

The role of First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs) in Primary Care is to assess patients with soft tissue, muscle and joint pain and to decide on the most appropriate management pathway. FCPs are physiotherapists with expertise in the assessment and management of Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Examples of the conditions a FCP can see are:

• All soft tissue injuries
• Sprains, strains or sports injuries
• Arthritis – any joint
• Possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons or bone, e.g. tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains
• Spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain and neck pain
• Spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, e.g. pins and needles or numbness
• Post-orthopaedic surgery

The FCP may give advice or exercises, refer on for further physiotherapy treatment, request investigations or refer to a specialist if indicated.

Click here to book an appointment with the FCP 

Who can you see at Budbrooke Medical Centre: Tracey Bugg – Social Prescriber

Social prescribers work collaboratively with general practices to support patients in a holistic way. They empower patients to take control of their own wellbeing by focusing on their strengths, needs and aspirations. Social prescribers can connect people to community groups and services for practical and emotional support, signpost to relevant services, resources or support groups and support existing community groups and helping patients to start new ones. Social prescribers are able to give patients the time to identify what matters to them.

How can a Social Prescriber benefit me as a patient:

• Signposting to external organisations
• Carer support signposting
• Cancer support signposting
• Self-care and psychoeducation
• Support with financial worries, benefits and housing difficulties
• Supporting the practices Social prescribing booklet and knowledge of local activities
• Support to access services in the community to tackle loneliness and isolation

Arden PCN Social Prescribing Self referral

Upon completing the form below, our social prescribing team will contact you within 10 days to discuss your requirements.

Arden PCN Social Prescribing Self referral form

Who can you see at Budbrooke Medical Centre: Esme Blackshaw – MIND Practitioner (Mental health services)

Mental health practitioners are based in surgery for ease of use for patients;

• Aimed for patients aged 11years and older
• Early intervention mental health service
• Face to Face sessions every Tuesday at Budbrooke MC
• Follow up calls available after 1st initial meeting
• Long appointment times given for appropriate space for the patient to talk to the practitioner
• Support with managing low mood, stresses at work/school/home, anxieties, loneliness and isolation
• Support with managing long-term health conditions

These practitioners work alongside NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, and other primary care roles that provide mental health support.

Click here to self refer yourself to the MIND Practitioner