Dr A Farrell
MB ChB - Qualified Southampton 1999
Modern general practice is delivered by a mixed portfolio of healthcare professionals supporting the doctors. With the development of Primary Care Networks the team will further expand to clinicians such as Mental health Practitioners and Physiotherapists in the future.
Here's a guide to the type of clinician you might encounter at Christiana Hartley Medical Practice
General Practitioners GPs
GPs are medical doctors who oversee all aspects of patient care. As well as caring for patients directly, they support other members of the practice team to plan and deliver safe and effective care for patients.
They can help by:
• diagnosing and treating health conditions, prescribing medication where appropriate
• ordering tests and interpreting results
• referring you to hospital and other medical services for urgent and specialist treatment.
Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP)
Advanced Practitioners come from a range of professional backgrounds such as nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy and paramedics. They are highly trained and have the knowledge and skills to manage all aspects of patient care.
They can help by:
• diagnosing and treating certain health conditions
• ordering tests and interpreting results
• prescribing medication.
Physicians Associate
Physician associates (PAs) are healthcare professionals with a generalist medical education who work alongside doctors providing medical care as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. PAs are trained to work within a defined scope of practice and limits of competence to perform the following duties:
- taking medical histories from patients
- carrying out physical examinations
- seeing patients with undifferentiated diagnoses
- seeing patients with long-term chronic conditions
- formulating differential diagnoses and management plans
- carrying out diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
- developing and delivering appropriate treatment and management plans
- requesting and interpreting diagnostic studies
- providing health promotion and disease prevention advice for patients.
Practice Nurses
General Practice Nurses are a vital part of our primary healthcare team. Our practice nurses will be involved in almost every aspect of patient care and treatment, undertaking such tasks as:
- Helping people manage long term conditions such as diabetes, asthma and COPD
- Health screening
- Family planning
- Running vaccination programmes
- Administering child immunisations
The role allows nurses to develop long term relationships with individuals and families, managing their conditions and improving physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Watch a short video produced by NHS called 'A Day in The Life of a Practice Nurse'
Health Care Assistants (HCA)
The role of HCA is evolving in the NHS workforce but they have long been a central part of the healthcare team at Christiana Hartley Medical Practice. Supplementing and supporting the work of the practice nurses they carry out a wide range of tasks which includes.
- Phlebotomy
- Diagnostic tests such as ECG
- Administering some vaccinations and immunisations
- Conducting reviews with people with long term conditions such as diabetes
- Health reviews and the provision of lifestyle advice
Watch a short video produced by the NHS called 'A Day in The Life of a Health Care Assistant'
Independent Prescribing Pharmacist
Clinical pharmacists work as part of the general practice team to improve value and outcomes from medicines and consult with and treat patients directly. This includes providing extra help to manage long-term conditions, advice for those on multiple medicines and better access to health checks. The role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and ensuring patient safety.
Having clinical pharmacists in GP practices means that GPs can focus their skills where they are most needed, for example on diagnosing and treating patients with more complex conditions. This helps GPs to manage the demands on their time.
Reception Team
Staff in our reception team are specially trained to know about the services available to you at our GP practice and in the local area. They will listen and talk to you in confidence about your health problem, to understand your needs so they can book you an appointment with the right healthcare professional or service.
They can help by:
•getting you an appointment with the right healthcare professional as quickly
as possible
•identifying services you can access with a GP referral
•making appointments for new kinds of care or services you may not be aware of.