INTRODUCTION
There are 1250 primary care networks (PCNs) in the English NHS. Established in July 2019, PCNs have been developed in response to national policy focused on better integrating health and social care services while strengthening the sustainability of primary care.1 They receive additional funding to support the employment of new types of practitioners and provide enhanced services to patients. While originally intended to cover populations of 30 000 to 50 000 patients, only 58% of PCNs are within this range, with some smaller, and more that are larger.2
RESEARCH EVIDENCE SO FAR
Research into the implementation and early development of PCNs suggests swift and impressive progress compared with some of their antecedent primary care organisations, with initial governance arrangements in place, and staff recruited to deliver practice-based pharmacy, social prescribing, and enhanced support for care homes.3 PCNs are also playing an important role in primary care responses to the pandemic3 and the COVID-19 vaccination programme.4
This seemingly positive and striking early progress conceals a profound organisational fragility that emerged as an important theme in the two National Institute for Health Research funded studies of PCNs. …
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