Primary care networks: the impact of covid-19 and the challenges ahead.

The pressures of the pandemic threaten network development In 2019, general practices in England came together to form 1259 primary care networks NHS England sees these networks as a route to improving collaboration between general practice and other community based providers, expanding the multidisciplinary workforce, and becoming the building blocks for integrated care systems as part of the NHS long term plan 1 Despite disquiet about whether the funding offered for the expected workload is adequate and concerns that participating in the networks threatens GPs’ independent contractor status, nearly all practices (98%) renewed their contract for a second year alongside their practice based contract 234 Covid-19 has now brought challenges that threaten the ability of the fledgling networks to deliver on expectations The burden of ill health not related to covid-19 has grown as routine services were suspended at the peak of the pandemic and people have avoided general practices, hospital outpatients, and accident and emergency departments 5 As the NHS works out how to restart routine services with the ongoing risk of outbreaks, primary care will be put under additional strain by delayed presentations, investigations, and treatment;poorly controlled long term conditions;…