THREE Wirral GP practices have won approval to form a new Primary Care Network (PCN) that will be launched this week.

Healthier Neighbourhoods will bring together three large GP practices with surgeries in Birkenhead, Beechwood, Prenton and Woodchurch.

Paxton Medical Group – including Claughton, Townfield, and Fender Way surgeries, Heatherlands Medical Centre, and Prenton & Woodchurch Medical Centre – will join forces to launch the new PCN on Thursday (August 1).

PCNs, formally established across England in 2019, are described as networks of 'geographically-adjacent' GP practices, working together 'to enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated, and more integrated health and social care, close to home'.

In a joint statement, the GP practices confirmed there would be no loss of patient services, adding: "Healthier Neighbourhoods PCN represents a values-led partnership, with all of the GP practices involved sharing a determination to deliver exceptional patient-centred care.

"Our new PCN will deliver significant benefits for our patients, including easier access to appointments, and services delivered closer to home.

"More targeted and proactive healthcare, and stronger links with social care and other local services will allow us to better tackle the specific health inequalities in our communities."

Previously, patients at the practices in the new PCN were required to travel to clinics outside their local community to access some services.

From August 1, those services will move back to local surgeries, delivered closer to patients’ homes. Extended appointment availability for patients in the new PCN – including evenings and weekends – will follow later in 2024.

More information about the Healthier Neighbourhoods PCN is available at www.healthierneighbourhoods.co.uk.