PCN stands for Primary Care Network and is a way of looking at the ways we work as a group. Our PCN is The Chippenham, Corsham and Box Primary Care Network, or CCB PCN for short.

Our PCN includes Rowden Surgery, Hathaway Surgery, Lodge Surgery, Porch Surgery and Box Surgery. It does not mean all of the practices are the same or that we are mixing, but it means we’re trying to work better together! We are still continuing our own way of working and nothing is changing regarding your doctor.

No, you are still registered at our Surgery. Your surgery and your doctor will stay the same. You won’t be seen at another surgery unless it is seen to be in your best interest. You might be seen by a Physiotherapist in another surgery or seen in any of the 5 surgeries within the PCN but you will continue to be registered at Rowden.

The purpose is to smooth the transitions between other local services. It should make it easier for us to work with other local providers, both for us (the surgery) and for you (the patient).

We also have Shared Administration and support each other in some paperwork and support each other in our work. Including our local "Hot Hub" which is shared between our whole PCN and several specialists work across the whole PCN!

We have a few different aims with this type or working. 

• We’re want to focus our services with the whole of our community in mind 
• We want to learn from each other and share the workload of our community
• It helps to keep us “Practice Led” which means we manage ourselves with the help of the higher governing bodies of the NHS (Local Representative Committees and Clinical Commissioning Groups)

Shared Administration means we will be sharing our practice records with the other surgeries within our PCN.

This means that clinicians and authorised administrators will be able to access the notes of patients in all of the five practices across our Primary Care Network.

This streamlines how we access information and means you could have faster access to a physiotherapist in another practice in our network, or be seen in our PCN Hub at New Road Surgery where we are reviewing any suspected COVID-19 patients in a separate, clean and safe environment.

You can opt out. It is entirely optional to choose not to take part and we will not making this mandatory for patients at Rowden. Even without sharing your record, the NHS will still be able to provide the care that you need. However, it might mean you miss out on this extra form of streamlined care. If you choose not to take part please contact us on 01249 444343 or Rowden.Surgery@nhs.net 

We still have very strict rules in place around who can access patient notes and we will still have all of the same confidentiality rules in place across every surgery. It just means this access will be available for authorised staff working within the other surgeries too.

The Living Well Team recognises that a person’s health and wellbeing can be determined by a range of social, economic and environmental factors. Social Prescribing looks to address a person’s needs in a holistic way, allowing the patient greater control of their health. Referrals to the team can be made by clinicians, family members, or patients themselves by contacting the practice and asking to speak directly with the team.

Living Well Team.pdf