Primary care services are the first point of contact in the healthcare system, acting as the ‘front door’ to the NHS. These services include: GPs, community pharmacies, dental care and eye health services.
What is a primary care network (PCN)?
A primary care network consists of groups of general practices working together, and in partnership with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local area, to offer more personalised, coordinated health and social care to the people living in their area.
There are 41 PCNs in Kent and Medway. Networks will be aligned to a health and care partnership. This will support them to work more closely with other partners in the area.
There are seven primary care networks in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley, made up of 23 GP practices. Old Road West Surgery in Gravesend is not aligned to a PCN.
Dartford Central
- Horsman's Place Surgery
- Redwood Surgery (Dartford West Health Centre)
- Temple Hill Group
Dartford Model
- Dr Shimmins and Partners (Dartford East Health Centre)
- Lowfield Medical Practice
- The Wellcome Practice
Garden City
- Downs Way Medical Practice
- Swanscombe Health Centre
- Parrock Street Surgery
- Pilgrims Way Surgery
Gravesend Alliance
- Oakfield Health Centre
- The Shrubbery and Riverview Park Surgeries
- Springhead Health Limited
Gravesend Central
- Chalk Surgery (Lower Higham Road Surgery)
- Gravesend Medical Centre
- Pelham Medical Practice
- Rochester Road Surgery
LMN Care
- Jubilee Medical Practice
- Meopham Medical Practice
Swanley and Rural
- The Cedars Surgery
- Devon Road Surgery
- Farningham (Braeside) Surgery
- The Oaks Partnership
There are 16 primary care networks in east Kent, made up of 65 GP practices.
AMP
Ashford Medical Partnership
Ashford Rural
- Charing Surgey
- Hamstreet Surgery
- Ivy Court Surgery
- Woodchurch Surgery
Canterbury North
- Canterbury Health Centre
- Northgate Medical Practice
- Old School Surgery
- Sturry Surgery
Canterbury South
- Canterbury Medical Practice
- New Dover Road Surgery
- University Medical Centre
CARE
- Ash Surgery
- Birchington Medical Centre
- Broadstairs Medical Practice
- Minster Surgery
- St Peter's Surgery
- Westgate Surgery
Deal and Sandwich
- Balmoral Surgery
- Manor Road Surgery
- Sandwich Medical Practice
- St Richard's Road Surgery
- The Cedars Surgery
Dover Town
- Buckland Medical Practice
- High Street Surgery
- St James' Surgery
Folkestone, Hythe and Rural
- Church Road Practice
- Folkestone Surgery
- Hawkinge and Elham Surgery
- New Lyminge Surgery
- Oaklands Health Centre
- Sun Lane Surgery
- White House Surgery
Herne Bay
- The Heron Medical Practice
- Park Surgery
Margate
- Bethesda Medical Centre
- Mockett's Wood Surgery
- Northdown Surgery
- The Limes Medical Centre
Mid Kent PCN
- Faversham Medical Practice
- Newton Road Surgery
- Hollington Surgery
- Kingsnorth Medical Practice
- New Hayesbank Surgery
- Sellindge Surgery
- Sydenham House Medical Centre
- Wye Surgery
Ramsgate
- Dashwood Medical Centre
- East Cliff Medical Practice
- Newington Road Surgery
- Summerhill Surgery
- The Grange Practice
THE (Total Healthcare Excellence) East
- Aylesham Medical Practice
- Lydden Surgery
- White Cliffs Medical Centre
- Pencester Surgery
The Marsh
- Church Lane Health Centre
- Martello Health Centre
- Oak Hall Practice
- Orchard House Surgery
THE (Total Healthcare Excellence) West
- Guildhall Street Surgery
- Manor Clinic
- Sandgate Road Surgery
- The New Surgery
Whitstable
Whitstable Medical Practice
There are nine primary care networks in Medway and Swale, made up of 51 GP practices. Princes Park Medical Centre is not aligned to a PCN.
Gillingham South
- Glebe Family Practice
- Malvern Road Surgery (Medway Medical Centre)
- Napier Road Surgery
- Pump Lane
- Upper Canterbury Street
- Woodlands Family Practice
Medway Central
- Balmoral Gardens
- Brompton Medical Centre
- Bryant Street Medical Practice
- Kings Family Practice
- Maritime Health Partnership
- The Halfway Surgery
Medway Peninsula
- Highparks Medical Practice
- St Werburgh Practice
- The Elms Medical Centre
Medway South
- King George Road Surgery
- Maidstone Road Chatham Surgery
- Reach Healthcare
- Stonecross and West Drive Surgery
- The Churchill Clinic
Medway Rainham
- Church View Practice
- Eastcourt Lane Surgery
- Long Catlis Road Surgery
- Maidstone Road Rainham Surgery
- Matrix Medical Centre
- Orchard Family Practice
- Parkwood Family Practice
- Thames Avenue
- Waltham Road
- Wigmore Medical Centre
Rochester
- Borstal Village
- Castle Medical Practice
- City Way Surgery
- The Thorndike Centre
Sheppey
- Sheerness Health Centre (Dr Patel)
- Dr S J Witts Practice
- Sheppey Healthy Living Centre (Dr Shah)
- St Georges Medical Centre
- The Om Medical Centre
Sittingbourne
- Chestnuts Surgery
- Grovehurst Surgery
- London Road Medical Centre
- Meads Medical Practice
- Memorial Medical Centre
- Dr RB Kumar Practice
- Greenporch Medical partnership
Strood
- Apex Medical Practice
- Court View Surgery
- Gun Lane
- Marlowe Park Medical Centre
- Riverside Medical Practice
There are nine primary care networks in west Kent, made up of 53 GP practices.
ABC
- Aylesford Medical Centre
- Blackthorn Medical Practice
- The College Practice
Maidstone Central
- Bower Mount Medical Centre
- Brewer Street Surgery
- The Medical Centre Group (Northumberland Court Surgery)
- The Vine Medical Centre
Maidstone South
- Albion Place Medical Practice
- Greensands Health Centre
- Mote Medical Centre
- Wallis Avenue Surgery
Malling
- Phoenix Medical Practice
- Snodland Medical Practice
- Thornhills Medical Practice
- Wateringbury Surgery
- West Malling Group Practice
Sevenoaks
- Amherst Medical Practice
- Borough Green Medical Practice
- Edenbridge Medical Practice
- Otford Medical Practice
- South Park Medical Practice
- St John's Medical Practice
- Town Medical Centre
- Westerham Practice
The Ridge
- Bearsted Medical Practice
- Headcorn Surgery
- Langley Surgery (The Orchard Surgery)
- Len Valley Practice
- Sutton Valence Group Practice
Tonbridge
- Hadlow Medical Centre
- Hildenborough Medical Group
- Tonbridge Medical Group
- Warders Medical Centre
- Woodlands Health Centre
Tunbridge Wells
- Grosvenor and St James Medical Centre
- Kingswood Surgery
- Lonsdale Medical Centre
- Rusthall Medical Centre
- Speldhurst and Greggswood Medical Group
- St Andrews Medical Centre
- Waterfield House Surgery
- The Wells Medical Practice
Weald
- Howell Surgery
- Lamberhurst Surgery
- Malling Health Four (Staplehurst Surgery)
- Marden Medical Centre
- Old Parsonage Surgery
- Old School Surgery
- Orchard End Surgery
- The Crane Surgery
- Weald View Medical Practice
- Yalding
The networks were established in 2019 and have already begun working together to provide more services outside the standard surgery opening times. A large part of the Covid-19 vaccination programme has also been co-ordinated by PCNs across Kent and Medway.
As they develop further, primary care networks will:
- introduce new healthcare professionals to GP practices, such as specialist nurses, paramedics and pharmacists
- make better use of technology to support patients
- offer appointments that work around your life with shorter waiting times. You’ll be able to book on the NHS app for online consultations, phone and face-to-face appointments.
The Kent and Medway Primary Care Strategy
As part of Kent and Medway's response to the NHS Long Term Plan, we have created an ambitious strategy which outlines how we plan to improve practice-based primary care services in Kent and Medway over the next five years.
The strategy has been created by GP colleagues, commissioners, patients and other community service providers, who are working together to make sure we have safe, effective and good quality GP services now and in the future.
Together, we will:
- support primary care networks to provide a wider range of services based on the health needs of the people they care for. This includes a social prescribing service to enable GPs to refer patients to a link worker who will support them to access services provided by voluntary or community services to combat loneliness and social isolation
- support practices to work with each other and other healthcare providers in the county, so care is more joined-up and services work better together.
View the health profiles of the primary care networks here.