Patient Need Groups

What are Patient Need Groups? (PNGs)

Health and social care providers are asked to jointly plan neighbourhood health for the local populations with an initial focus on people with the most complex health and care needs. 

To help clinicians tailor care for people, especially those with the greatest need, people in Kent and Medway will start to be segmented using the Johns Hopkins tool. This puts people into Patient Needs Groups (PNGs).

If you use the NHS App, you may have already seen your PNG.
 
How do PNGs work?  

  • Everyone is different. Some people are very healthy, some have one or two health problems, and some have many health problems.  
  • The PNG system puts people into 11 different groups based on how much care and support they are likely to need.  
  • Your group can change if your health changes.  

 

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Knowing these groups helps explain why different patients might need different types or levels of care.

In order to help us tailor care to individual patient need, we now have access to a tool that categorises our population into these 11 groups.  Find out more here:  https://www.hopkinsacg.org/

Patient Need Groups Explanation Video

Page last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Page created: 21 October 2025