Case study – Strategic Insights for partnership working

What our client needed

During  significant transition which included practice mergers, staff changes, and increasing service demand, this client faced mounting challenges within their Primary Care Network (PCN).  With reduced income and growing pressures on member practices, the PCN recognised the need to recalibrate its strategy to foster collaboration and resilience.

The PCN approached us with initial ideas on what they needed, focusing on:

  • Gaining a deeper understanding of the evolving NHS landscape and its impact on general practice and PCNs, ensuring they could navigate challenges while seizing opportunities.
  • Revisiting and refining the PCN’s purpose and vision to align with emerging demands and supporting member practices.

Our approach

We designed a bespoke support process tailored to the PCN’s needs: 

Step 1 – Pre-event engagement:  We conducted individual interviews with PCN members to gather diverse perspectives and surface priorities. This ensured the needs of individual member practices were understood.

Step 2 – Strategy development away day: We designed and delivered a development day with member practices and worked on defining the PCN’s vision, agreed on key values, and identified priorities. We ensured an inclusive environment where every member could contribute meaningfully. 

Step 3 – Actionable outputs:  We helped the team craft a practical action plan with clear accountabilities and timelines. 

Results

This approach gave the PCN:

  • A clear vision and purpose with a foundational guide for future planning and decision-making.
  • An action plan with a focused roadmap outlining priorities, responsibilities, and milestones to align efforts and drive outcomes.
  • An accountability framework with a set of processes to ensure commitments were met, including planned progress check-ins.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates how our tailored approach empowers healthcare organisations to navigate change, foster collaboration, and achieve strategic clarity. By partnering with us, this Primary Care Network is well-equipped to adapt to future challenges while enhancing service delivery. Our intervention provided the PCN with a renewed sense of purpose and shared strategic goals, practical tools to support implementation, and improved teamwork and alignment among member practices, ensuring a more cohesive and effective network.