What is the plan?

You may have read my previous opinions on networks, their strengths, their weaknesses and the opportunities. I am generally supportive of networks as they provide an opportunity to start conversations, generate ideas and progress innovation. With the right set of members, common purpose and resource they are good mechanisms to aide co-production and co-commissioning. Networks have the potential to bring the right people together and get them talking to each other.

The three orphans of the health service, dentistry, optometry and pharmacy have all been challenged to develop local professional networks. This has been an interesting journey so far and no doubt it’ll continue to become more interesting with time. Within dentistry, some of you may be aware of the existence or absence of your local professional network. What seems to have emerged is a pick ‘n’ mix bag of different arrangements across England.

Some local professional networks have clearly defined terms of reference whilst others have less clearly defined terms of reference. I am not sure that this matters as much as first determining the scope of the network and how they should operate. As often happens in the health service, committees are formed by deciding who should be around the table before identifying the function they are supposed to be discharging. This same calamity can be seen with some local professional networks, where they are still deciding who should be members before identifying their purpose.