Yorkshire Health Network

Yorkshire Health Network is a federation of 17 GP practices serving Harrogate and the surrounding rural district. It is governed by a board of directors with local practice representation and external expertise, supported by a small management and administrative team working in partnership with the area’s four Primary Care Networks.

The organisation’s vision is sustainable local primary care. Its mission is to enable shared services for primary care locally, support the development and function of Primary Care Networks, and work strategically with partners to help sustain primary care for local people.

Core NHS activity includes the Enhanced Access service, offering pre-bookable routine appointments in the evenings and at weekends with a range of professionals such as GPs, advanced nurse practitioners and healthcare assistants. Appointments are provided across hub sites in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, and are booked via a patient’s registered GP practice with consented record sharing.

The network delivers vaccination services through qualified nurses, including private travel and occupational health vaccinations, alongside travel health products such as antimalarials and insect repellents.

Private services also include microsuction ear-wax removal and medical assessments. Microsuction appointments are delivered in a clinical setting in Harrogate with a set fee per visit, a booking deposit and a reduced-fee follow-up if required. Medicals and fit-to-drive letters are available for employment, licensing, visa and general health requirements, with fixed appointment durations and fees; typical checks include visual acuity, blood pressure, hearing and a physical examination.

Yorkshire Health Network supports four Primary Care Networks across Harrogate and Rural District: Heart of Harrogate, Mowbray Square, Ripon and Masham, and Knaresborough and Rural. It also facilitates primary care research with national partners, with previous projects spanning diabetes treatment trials, population prevalence studies during the COVID-19 pandemic, arthritis diagnostics and depression studies.