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Primary Care Collaborative North Cumbria Limited is committed to supporting, strengthening and enhancing the delivery of primary care services across the NHS North Cumbria area.

Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of patients while building resilience within general practice. We do this by enhancing the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of care, ensuring GP practices are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of their patients.

We are dedicated to improving patient outcomes and the overall health of our communities by making healthcare more accessible and consistently high in quality. We work collaboratively with practices and partner organisations to deliver integrated, patient-centred care tailored to local needs.

Innovation is at the heart of our approach. We support and implement forward-thinking models of care that enhance patient experience and ensure long-term sustainability of services.

We also place great importance on staff wellbeing, recognising that a supported and engaged workforce leads to better care, higher job satisfaction, and improved retention - benefiting patients and the wider community.

We’re continuing to grow and develop, so please stay tuned for further updates.

Scroll down for more information on the Collaborative Directors.

An exciting new collaborative between Primary Care General Practice providers launches in North Cumbria

Primary Care Collaborative North Cumbria Limited has launched with 18 shareholder member GP practices and 4 additional GP practices supportive of the new entity with a view to joining as shareholders in the future.

In addition to working closely with member practices the collaborative hopes to work with and alongside system health and care partners including Primary Care Networks (PCN’s), North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) organisations, the local authority, the Local Medical Committee (LMC), NHS trusts and wider system partners across the North East and North Cumbria region.

Robert Westgate, Clinical Director explains “there are over 200 GP federations and collaboratives in England many of them well established with a proven track record, so to be able to launch in North Cumbria with an initial 18 member practices is a really positive step. Working at scale allows us to build resilience in Primary Care, working more easily with partner organisations; protecting general practice and patient care. Forming a federation of GP practices is the start of a process to help rebuild high quality person centred primary care for the people of North Cumbria”

The successful launch of Primary Care Collaborative North Cumbria comes after a pilot project (Primary Care Services North Cumbria) which has run for the past 18 months brought together practices to share best practice, ensure funding opportunities were fully utilised and managed, and offered centralised communication and media support across North Cumbria. 

Samantha Gargett who is the Primary Care Services North Cumbria Project Manager and now Operations Director in the new collaborative said “The pilot has really proved how much working together and having a unified voice for our patient population can enhance services and ensure we continually improve in the ever changing and challenging landscape of Primary Care, I look forward to being able to take some of the lessons learnt during the pilot into the new entity and seeing it grow”

The Primary Care Collaborative North Cumbria board is currently made up of Clinical Directors, Operations Directors and a Finance Director.

 

Celia Heasman, GP Partner at Westcroft House surgery, Egremont and Clinical Director in the new collaborative says “We hope to be a strong voice advocating for the needs and interests of Primary Care Providers and patients, it is crucial our voice is heard and working in a collaborative way will ensure this is the case. We are all part of the North East North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) which makes us one of the largest ICS’s in the country therefore having a voice for North Cumbria within the wider system is crucial”


ENDS
 

EDITOR NOTES:

‘North Cumbria’ within current NHS boundaries covers the West, East and North areas of Cumbria.

Meet the Directors

Celia Heasman - Chair/Clinical Director

I’ve been a GP at Westcroft Surgery in Egremont for 17 years, and a partner for most of that time. It’s a privilege to care for this community and support generations of the same families. I’m passionate about local healthcare and proud of the work our GP practices do, often in challenging circumstances. I believe working together allows us to achieve more for our patients. My experience as Clinical Director for Copeland PCN, and now Copeland Haven PCN, has prepared me well to support practices across North Cumbria in this role.

Marcus Rieborn - Deputy Chair/Clinical Director

I am a GP Partner at Brampton Medical Practice, PCN Clinical Director for Carlisle Rural (covering Brampton & Longtown), and co-chair of North Cumbria GP Leadership. I joined Brampton Medical Practice seven years ago. We are a large rural dispensing practice working across 4 sites serving approximately 16,800 patients. Before this, I was a GP Partner at Carlisle Healthcare, which has provided me with valuable experience working across both rural communities and larger urban settings. I look forward to working collaboratively to ensure that general practice in North Cumbria remains secure, well-supported, and capable of delivering excellent care for all our patients.

Robert Westgate - Clinical Director

I am a GP partner in Carlisle and Clinical Director with Carlisle Healthcare PCN, serving around 52,000 people, and currently Chair of North Cumbria LMC. With over 25 years of experience in clinical leadership, education and development, I have led work in diabetes, service redesign, practice mergers, GP training and building resilience in primary care. I remain a practising GP, committed to continuity of care and the doctor-patient relationship. I am passionate about strengthening collaboration across the region, supporting practices enhancing patient care and ensuring primary care has a strong voice within the wider health system.

Tracey Darrington - Finance Director

I am Managing Partner at Carlisle Healthcare and joint Carlisle Healthcare PCN Operations Lead.

Rachael Somerville - Operations Director

I am a dedicated professional with 13+ years’ experience in practice operations, driven by a passion for high-quality, compassionate patient care. My focus has been on improving healthcare services, supporting teams, and promoting equitable access across communities. I bring a collaborative, strategic leadership style centered on operational efficiency, innovation, and team development. I am committed to continuous professional development ensuring teams remain at the forefront of best practice and innovation in primary care. Committed to better patient outcomes and continuous improvement, I aim to support PCCNC’s mission to deliver excellent primary care and enhance the health of North Cumbria communities.

Quick Links

'Primary Care Services' - Project Legacy

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