Clinical Networks in practice

Managed Clinical Networks (MCN) are one of the most effective ways to focus all practitioners, managers and community groups to address the diverse needs of children and youth across the continuum of care in a coordinated manner with clear governance and accountability arrangements.

They offer a way of linking services so that the patient journey up, down or along the continuum of care can be smoothed as services work better together with a shared understanding. Each MCN considers services as elements that need to be brought together to deliver programmes of care to individuals and/or populations.

"The needs of children, young people and their families for care and support along a continuum can be achieved more easily than from isolated services. Networks protect families from gaps between services"

The benefits of MCN can include:

• The potential to reach over a wide area, to generate knowledge and to learn quickly by exchanging and sharing information

• Ensuring that the stated aim of Boards, through to front line practice are shared across all partners

• Improved overall quality of care through the governance, accountability and performance management processes

• Improved access and equity of service provision

• Reduced variations in service standards

• Supporting and sustaining vulnerable services

• Supporting the links required to manage mobile patients, or patients who require services across a range of providers

• Improved staff experience through workforce development and retention

• Improved effectiveness of services, at all levels

• Improved safety (due to shared policies and improved transfers of care)

• Identification of issues and concerns before they become unmanageable

• Potential to deliver financial savings through joint procurement and a structured approach to sharing of initiatives

• Enablement of service configuration through the engagement of local and regional population groups