Sussex Primary Care Provider Collaborative (PCPC)

The Sussex Primary Care Provider Collaborative (PCPC) is a partnership of general practice, community pharmacy, dentistry and optometry, established to strengthen primary care's voice in Sussex health system decision-making. The LMC is represented on the Board, helping ensure that general practice perspectives inform system discussions and future service development.

Date published:
Date last updated:
Next review date:

Why does the Sussex PCPC exist?

PCPC exists to bring together the four primary care sectors, general practice, community pharmacy, dentistry and optometry, so that primary care can engage more effectively with Sussex-wide planning and decision-making. It provides a forum through which providers can identify shared priorities, influence system discussions and support collaborative working across primary care.

PCPC does not replace the statutory representative functions of the LMC, LPC, LDC or LOC. Rather, it provides a mechanism through which the primary care sectors can work together where they have common interests and shared objectives.

Its work is intended to support decision-making at the most appropriate level, whether practice, PCN, neighbourhood, place or Sussex-wide, while recognising the importance of maintaining sustainable front-line primary care services.

Its work is intended to support decision-making at the most appropriate level, whether practice, PCN, neighbourhood, place or Sussex-wide, while recognising the importance of maintaining sustainable front-line primary care services.

Why does it matter to general practice?

Increasingly, decisions affecting general practice are being discussed at Sussex-wide, place and neighbourhood level. PCPC provides a route for primary care to influence these discussions and helps ensure that the realities of front-line practice are heard alongside those of larger NHS organisations.

  • Neighbourhood health and integrated community teams
  • Access and outpatients transformation
  • ADHD pathways
  • Prevention and vaccination programmes
  • Population health and proactive care initiatives
  • Interface issues between primary and secondary care
  • Workforce and leadership development within primary care

What is the LMC’s role?

The LMC is formally represented on the PCPC Board. This ensures that contractual, professional and representative perspectives from general practice are heard in PCPC discussions and that concerns from practices can be raised directly.

It is important to recognise that the LMC and PCPC have different roles:

  • Is the statutory representative body for GPs.
  • Provides independent advice and advocacy for practices.
  • Challenges inappropriate workload transfer and contractual risk.
  • Brings together the primary care provider sectors.
  • Represents primary care within system discussions.
  • Helps develop collaborative approaches where they are in the interests of patients and practices.

The two organisations therefore complement each other but do not replace one another.

A note from the LMC

As with any emerging Sussex-wide structure, the LMC’s involvement in PCPC is focused on ensuring that:

  • General practice remains properly represented.
  • The GP contractual position is understood and respected.
  • Responsibility, accountability and funding remain aligned.
  • Collaboration does not become a route for unfunded workload transfer into practices.
  • New models of care are supported by clear governance arrangements.

We will continue to engage constructively with PCPC and system partners where collaboration benefits patients and practices, while maintaining our independent representative role and responsibility to advocate for general practice.