Practice nurses at risk of being sidelined in primary care revamp
Many practice nurses could end up leaving because their skills and experience are not properly recognised in a new scheme to improve primary care, says QNI
The role of general practice nurse risks being ‘devalued’ under the government’s flagship scheme to improve primary care, a leading nursing body has warned.
Many could end up leaving because their skills and experience are not being recognised, according to the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI).
In a statement, the QNI set out its concerns about the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, introduced in England in 2019 as part of efforts to expand and support the primary care workforce.
Scheme enables wide range of professionals to join multidisciplinary primary care teams
The scheme, overseen by NHS England, enables practices to employ a wide range of different professionals such as pharmacists, phsyiotherapists and social prescribers to work as part of multidisciplinary primary care teams.
Advanced nurse practitioners and nursing associates are among the 17 roles supported, though the role of general practice nurse is not included.
The QNI said practice nurses were spending a lot of time helping to train and induct new staff recruited under the scheme with no extra benefit or recognition and minimal resources.
Meanwhile their role appears to be being sidelined, with advanced nurse practitioners who join teams routinely named as the lead nurse despite having no experience of general practice.
The warning comes amid ongoing concern about shortages of practice nurses and claims their talents, expertise and capacity to lead change are often ignored.
The QNI called on NHS England to allocate extra resources to support the supervision and induction of new team members and recognise the additional work being done by practice nurses.
The additional roles in the new scheme are perceived as the ‘life savers’ of primary care, said the QNI. ‘There is no doubt that they have value – but general practice nurses have been central to the delivery of excellent care in general practice for decades,’ it said.
‘A clear acknowledgement of the value of general practice nurses is needed, along with a plan to support them to stay, grow and develop in general practice alongside their colleagues.’
QNI to survey general practice nurses in coming months about their experiences of the scheme
The QNI said it would be surveying general practice nurses in the coming months to find out more about their experiences of the scheme.
Nursing Standard understands work is currently under way to review the scheme in line with the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published in June this year.
The plan includes a goal of increasing the number of primary care nurses by more than 5,000 by 2036-37.
It also highlights the need to develop the leadership skills of the primary care workforce through initiatives like the CARE programme for practice nurses.
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