GP practices in the Black Country are working differently to offer more appointments for their patients.
Your local GP practice team now includes a range of healthcare professionals who are highly skilled and knowledgeable in the areas they specialise in and are able to diagnose and treat a variety of health conditions.
The team may include nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, physician associates, social prescriber link workers and healthcare assistants, who work alongside GPs to ensure patients see the right person at the right time.
Terence Burnett is an advanced nurse practitioner working at Pennfields Medical Centre in Wolverhampton. He said: “An advanced nurse practitioner is a nurse who has enhanced skills and is able to diagnose and prescribe medication for patients. The role also extends to sending patients to referrals, if need be, and other things such as chronic disease management, diabetes, and asthma.
“My day is quite varied so there are times when I’ll see chronic disease patients, mainly diabetic patients, or I’ll see same-day patients who come in with minor illnesses like chest infections, coughs or colds.
“It helps the practice by taking away a lot of the pressure on the GPs. A lot of the things which are put to the GP can be done by a nurse practitioner. I find the role really rewarding, as when you’re looking after a patient and you bring them back in for a review, it’s nice to know a treatment you’ve started has worked and you do really feel that you are part of the general practice team.”
A video of Terence talking about his role can be found on YouTube here.
Sarb Basi, Director of Primary Care for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “With demand on primary care increasing, it’s important that we do things in a new way to help improve patients’ experience and access to GP services.
“Our ‘multidisciplinary team’ approach means we have a range of highly skilled and qualified professionals working together with GPs to deliver high quality support for all our patients.
“If it is most appropriate for patients to see a doctor, they will still be offered an appointment with a GP. However, the GP isn’t always the best person to see. The new roles now available at practices means people may be offered an appointment with a different healthcare professional who will be able to help based on their needs.
“GP practices are working differently, but they are very much open and here for you.”
In September, Black Country GP practices delivered more than 576,000 appointments, 70% of which were face to face and 43% of which were on the same day.
From 1 October, GP practices have been offering a range of extra appointments including faceto-face, telephone and online, between 6.30pm and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.
For more information on the different roles available at GP practices, and the new enhanced access arrangements, click here.
