How Can We Help You?

 

Our Services

Healthier Neighbourhoods PCN was formed in 2024. Our members include the 6 GP practices from across the local area who are working together with the common goal of improving the health and lives of over 30,000 patients.

Our practice locations include Paxton Medical Group (Claughton, Fender and Townfield), Heatherlands Medical Centre and Prenton and Woodchurch Medical Centre. 

Being a PCN means that we’ve been able to introduce many new roles into general practice to meet the needs of the patients and communities we serve. Our new roles and services include: 

Clinical Pharmacists

You’ll see a Clinical pharmacist when you need expert advice on your medicines. You may need to see a GP first to identify your illness, but then your GP may ask you to see a Clinical Pharmacist or Practice Nurse. 

You may see a Clinical Pharmacist if you have a long-term health condition. The clinical pharmacist can talk to you about the medicines you are taking to make sure they’re working for you. Long-term conditions are things like asthma, type 2 diabetes, arthritis or high blood pressure. The clinical pharmacist may also suggest changes to your life to help you stay well. 

If you’re taking medicines for a long time you will need to have them checked at least once per year. The clinical pharmacist can check your medicines and talk to you about how they’re working for you. They can also do health checks like taking your blood pressure or make appointments for you to have other checks. 

First Contact Physiotherapy

Low back and neck pain are the greatest cause of years lost to disability in the UK, with chronic joint pain or osteoarthritis affecting millions of people. In addition, musculoskeletal conditions also account for 30% of all GP appointments.

First contact physiotherapists can now be seen at your local GP Practice without you needing to be referred by a GP.  The vast majority of musculoskeletal first contact practitioners are physiotherapists with enhanced skills. They can help you with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by assessing and diagnosing the issue, giving you advice on how best to manage your conditions and by referring you to specialist services if applicable. 

Patients with back and joint pain such as conditions like arthritis will be able to contact their local physiotherapist directly, rather than waiting for a referral. By offering the services of first contact physiotherapy, you will have quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, so you can quickly get back to your normal day to day life.

GP

As the practices within our PCN work together, we can offer our patients enhanced access GP appointments, additional appointments during the day, evening and weekends. This is not a walk-in service, so appointments must still be booked in advance. 

Please note that as we work together across the PCN to deliver this enhanced access service the appointment offered to you may be at a venue different to your registered practice.  

Health Coaching

Health coaches are experts in behaviour change and help you focus on improving health-related outcomes by working with you to set personalised goals. They work with people who have physical and/or mental health conditions and those who have a risk of developing them.  

Working with a health coach can be an effective intervention if you’re experiencing a range of long-term health conditions, including respiratory, cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes, stress or low mood. They can also support you with weight management, healthy eating, improving diet and increasing your activity levels as well as supporting you with self-management strategies. 

Our health coaches also host a wide range of free events, workshops and activities in the community to benefit the health of our patients and local neighbourhoods.  

Care Co-ordinators

Our team of Care Co-ordinators help patients across the PCN to make the right connections, with the right teams at the right time. Care Co-ordinators manage a caseload of identified patients, making calls to confirm screening appointments, updating the changing needs of the patients, and making sure that the appropriate support is made available to them. Care co-ordinators are effective in bringing together multidisciplinary teams to support people’s complex health and care needs. 

Our Care co-ordinators support patients diagnosed with Cancer, those living with frailty and those in Care homes, as well as managing calls and appointments for our screening campaigns. 

Social Prescribers

Social prescribers help connect you to activities, groups, and services in your community which help to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that can affect your health and wellbeing.

They work with you directly, giving you time to focus on ‘what matters to me?’   
Social prescribing is an all-age, whole population approach that works particularly well for people who have one or more long term conditions and who need support, who are lonely or isolated, or who have low level mental health issues which affect their wellbeing.  

Our social prescribers work collaboratively with a host of community partners, charities and services to support you when you need it most.