Meridian Primary Care Network

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are a new way of working that enables health and other services to work together to provide better access for patients.

Since the NHS was created in 1948, the population has grown and people are living longer. Many people are living with long term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease or suffer with mental health issues and may need to access their local health services more often.

To meet these needs, GP practices are working together with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local areas in groups of practices known as primary care networks (PCNs).

PCNs build on existing primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care for people close to home. Clinicians describe this as a change from reactively providing appointments to proactively caring for the people and communities they serve.

Our PCN

The Meridian PCN is a collaboration of six GP surgeries across Cambridgeshire and North Hertfordshire; supporting a patient population of 50,000.

Meridian PCN also has a dedicated website which is regularly updated with information about new services and staff.

Our Vision

We aim to provide high quality services adhering to principles of best practice, promoting equal opportunities and working positively with diversity.

Our Aims

  • Support the local interpretation and implementation of NHS transformation plans
  • Design and deliver primary care services at scale; such as the COVID vaccination centre
  • Provide the operational people and infrastructure to allow practices to collaborate
  • Be a voice for Primary Care, one that enables what we all want; sustainable and clinically-excellent general practice.

PCN Roles

PCNs have various areas they have been asked to focus on; this includes personalised care and support for patients, structured medication reviews, enhanced health in care homes, and supporting early cancer diagnosis. To enable this Meridian have introduced these PCN roles into the practices:

Clinical Pharmacist
Clinical pharmacists are highly qualified healthcare professionals who train for many years to become specialists in medicines and how they work. They work directly with you, as part of the general practice team, to make sure your medicines help you stay well.

  • Cathy Chin (Clinical Pharmacist and pharmacy team lead)
  • Anastassia Barulina (Clinical Pharmacist)

Click here for more information on the Clinical Pharmacist role.

Pharmacy Technician
Our Pharmacy Technician is working to support safe prescribing at Harston Surgery.  They contact patients who register at Harston to ensure repeat prescriptions are set up correctly, and after a hospital admission to make any changes to prescriptions.  They also work on safety audits.

  • Ana Gherasim (Pharmacy Technician) 

Social Prescribing Link Worker
Social prescribers are there to listen to you, and put you in touch with the people and activities that might help you to feel better.

  • Karina Choat (Social Prescriber) 

Click here for more information on the Social Prescriber role.

Health & Wellbeing Coaches
Health Coaches work with people to empower them to take control over their health and wellbeing by providing eduation, confidence building and encouraging positive behaviour changes.

They are working with patients in 1:1 sessions and facilitating group clinics which also provide an opportunity to share experiences with others living with the same condition.

  • Klaudia Demska (Health and Wellbeing Coach)

Click here for more information on the Health & Wellbeing role.

Care Coordinators
Meridian has three Care Coordinators who work in our Personalised Care Team.  They support patients to access care and support within Meridian and the wider Health and Social Care environment.

  • Karen Wharton (Care co-ordinator and team lead)
  • Claire Cooper (Care co-ordinator)

First Contact Practitioner
Our First Contact Practitioner is Sarah Perry. Sarah joined the team in 2021 and is a qualified physiotherapist. She works at the practice every Wednesday and is happy to see all patients over the age of 16 with Musculoskeletal problems. You can book appointments via the reception team. See this video for more information and to find out whether the service is suitable for you.

New Services Now Available

In recent months we have launched new services for patients registered at a Meridian practice – including Bourn Surgery.  These are supported by our Personalised Care team (Social Prescribers, Health Coaches and Care Coordinators)

You can access any of the following services without needing a GP referral by sending an email

Long Covid Group Clinics
Our Health Coaches are supporting patients living with Long Covid both with 1:1 support and in monthly online peer support groups

Menopause Cafe’s
Our Health Coaches are supporting individuals around the menopause with 1:1 support and group clinics, both in person and Online.

Innovation Projects

Meridian PCN have several projects that they are working on with funding and support from the South Alliance:

Technology-enabled self-management course for patients with chronic lung condition excluding asthma
This project aims to utilise technology to pilot remote online interactive self-management, education course for identified patients with Chronic Lung Disease, building on the nationally renowned approach to delivery of self-management courses (in particular, pulmonary rehab). This approach will serve a dual purpose:

  1. Empowering patients to acquire necessary skills, tools, knowledge and build confidence in managing their conditions and supporting their peers
  2. Providing necessary professional clinical input delivered by specially trained respiratory nurses who see patients early in their journey and address their needs in a virtual format.  

A specially trained nurse provides remote education and training sessions, including pulmonary rehabilitation and promote the use of myCOPD app that improves self-management (also Facebook and YouTube). Meridian PCN developed this interactive course with CPFT respiratory team. Meridian PCN will launch the course as its own branded product to boost engagement amongst patients and teams.

Worthwhile Waiting
At Meridian PCN we want to wait with you. Waiting for further hip, knee or other MSK treatment? 
You could be offered a place.

We will

  • help you to make the most of your waiting time
  • offer one-to-one health coaching
  • provide free access to activities across the arts, physical activity, practical support and more, and
  • help you improve your physical and mental health. Research shows that people engaging in this type of programme feel happier and healthier. Take control of your health while you wait.

Contact Us
If you would like more inofrmation on the Meridian PCN or if you have a question you would like to ask us; please contact us via email