New model for general practice

What will the NHS England General Practice Forward View mean for nurses and the wider primary care team?

The current model of primary care is straining to meet the increasing expectations of clients and government and the pressure to meet these demands will affect the experiences of patients, staff and the wider NHS. 

The new report represents a step change in the level of investment and support for general practice.

Investment in technology

It also includes help for struggling practices, plans to reduce workload, expansion of a wider workforce, investment in technology and estates and a National Development Programme to accelerate transformation of services.

The expectation is that this transformation will be built around patients becoming partners in their own care, and the redesign of the organisation of care and the wider workforce, to create a satisfying career for everyone working in general practice.

That all seems music to our ears so what is the catch?

Care in the community

The document acknowledges general practice nurses as an integral part of the practice team, but it also recognises how a broad range of healthcare professionals can contribute to care in the community – among them clinical pharmacists, physician associates, physiotherapists and paramedics as well as the voluntary sector.

Many of you will be familiar with working in teams that encompass allied healthcare professionals and be benefiting from their expertise and contribution to patient care, but may be questioning where your role sits in relation to this expanding workforce with their range of roles and responsibilities. 

Unique role

While nurses in general practice will continue to have a unique role in patient care, we do need to embrace and support these new models to meet new demands, including the use of technology to support self-care.

Those of us tiptoeing towards retirement might think this is all too much at this stage of our career.

But, by establishing closer relationships with colleagues from other disciplines, we will support general practice today, and create an environment that will attract a future primary care workforce where nurses and nursing will always be at the forefront of patient care.