North West Leicestershire PCN is one of the 10 networks shortlisted for PCN of the year. It has overhauled its workforce model and built new partnerships to make general practice more sustainable and deliver care at scale across 12 practices. The PCN is run by North West Leicestershire Federation and chief operating officer for both, Laura Norton, explains more.
North West Leicestershire is a large PCN covering 12 GP Practices and a population of 114,000 patients. We are also a large employer with a workforce of 80 staff.
When it became clear that the status quo was no longer working, the PCN took proactive steps to make general practice more sustainable. We did this by focusing on workforce, collaboration, and delivering services at scale.
Aims
Practices were facing capacity and financial pressures, and it was clear that change was needed. If general practice was to be sustainable, practices needed to capitalise on the DES and seek opportunities to deliver new services.
At the same time, the PCN faced its own challenges, such as a high level of staff turnover.
We recognised the need to make the organisation a great place to work, generate income for member practices, and expand at-scale services for patients.
To achieve this, we aimed to develop a new approach to both staffing and care delivery. We wanted to improve patient care while minimising additional workload and duplication of effort at practice level.
Approach
The PCN conducted a full review of employment terms and conditions to make them more favourable for staff, such as introducing formalised flexible working, and diversified its leadership team. Creating more senior ARRS posts has supported staff progression and has helped to shape PCN strategy.
Wellbeing was highlighted as an area for improvement in the national staff survey, so we took steps to address that. We provided mental health training to equip employees to maintain their personal resilience while managing patient care and offered free one-to-one therapy to all staff.
We enabled staff to develop clinical specialties and deliver projects at scale. We collaborated with other organisations from a workforce perspective and recruited to shared roles. For example, we have specialist pharmacists working across acute and primary care, and we employ staff from the voluntary sector to work in multi-disciplinary teams.
A shared SystmOne hub allows access across all 12 practices. It means practices retain autonomy over GMS work while enabling easy access to PCN-wide services. Shared rotas increase capacity and give patients access to a wider range of services. For example, we have a social prescribing team, which covers all practices and handles an average of 186 referrals per month.
The PCN also piloted a direct-entry initiative for student nursing associates (SNA), recruiting six individuals with no primary care background onto the SNA course to strengthen the local workforce pipeline.
Collaboration
The PCN has delivered a range of projects over the last 12 months in conjunction with our stakeholders that both develop the workforce and improve patient outcomes.
One example is an ADHD project that we’ve piloted with Leicestershire Partnership Trust (LPT) to ease pressure on CAMHS, which has 600 patients waiting for a neurodiversity assessment. ARRS pharmacists have been trained in the management of stable patients with a diagnosis of ADHD. LPT identifies suitable patients who are then seen in our specialised Enhanced Access clinics.
Mental health has also been a major focus, as it is the top priority for the Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT). The PCN has developed a pathway that brings together professionals from three employers - the PCN, LPT, and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland MIND - into one integrated team. Around 60 referrals per week are now triaged centrally and directed to the most appropriate professional.
And then there is a nurse and pharmacist-led women’s health hub, which has seen 3,000 women since June 2024, including 1,224 cervical smears carried out on women who had previously been non-responders. The smears were on average nine years overdue – the longest overdue was 24 years. This project has also delivered innovative menopause care to women, resulting in high levels of patient satisfaction and a 30% reduction in referrals to gynaecology outpatients over three years.
Outcomes
Providing growth and development opportunities has significantly improved staff retention. Over two years, staff turnover has dropped from 30% to under 7% (as of March 2025), and vacancies attract high-quality applicants.
A staff survey conducted in summer 2024 found 83% of our workforce were enthusiastic about their job - 25% above average for provider type. The same survey revealed that three-quarters of participants would recommend the PCN as a place to work, which is 20% above average for provider type.
The mental health initiative has reduced patient waiting times from six weeks to just three working days. Since April 2024, 2,400 patients – adults and children - have been seen across 3,900 appointments. As referrals can be made by any professional at first contact, GP workload has decreased. Patient-reported outcomes are strong, with 76% reporting improved wellbeing and 80% achieving the goals they set. Patient satisfaction rates are at 95%.
In social prescribing, waiting times have fallen from six months to six weeks over the past 18 months. And, over a year, our specialist social prescriber has supported patients with finances and benefits, helping them to secure £223,710 in weekly additional payments and £80,480 in backdated lump sums.
Future
Each new project is designed with evaluation and scalability in mind. The PCN has produced written guidance, SystmOne templates and patient feedback forms, which are shared with other PCNs interested in adopting similar models.
We continue to focus on attaining new contracts and income streams to support our practices. This includes undertaking a range of pharma-funded improvement projects and national cancer prevention initiatives.
And we work closely with the ICB, both on new projects and maximising the benefits of existing initiatives. For example, we’re discussing how the ADHD pilot could be rolled out across Leicestershire this year as a funded Enhanced Service to transform ADHD care in a sustainable and cost-effective way.
This is one of 10 PCNs shortlisted for PCN of the Year at the General Practice Awards. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony on Friday 5 December at the Novotel London West. If you’d like to be there on the night you can find out more here and book tickets here.
