Nurses

Practice nurses are qualified and registered nurses. They can help with health issues such as family planning, healthy living advice, blood pressure checks and dressings. The practice nurses run clinics for long-term health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, minor ailment clinics and carry out cervical smears.

• Sister Jenny Guy
• Sister Anwen Ballard
• Nurse Samuel Longman

Their roles can include:

• Obtain medical histories and perform physical examinations
• Diagnose and treat common health problems
• Diagnose, treat and monitor chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma
• Promote positive health behaviours and self-care skills through education and counselling
• Collaborate with the General Practitioners and other health professionals

Pharmacist

Clinical pharmacists are increasingly working as part of general practice teams. They are highly qualified experts in medicines and can help people in a range of ways. This includes carrying out structured medication reviews for patients with ongoing health problems and improving patient safety, outcomes and value through a person-centred approach.

• Miss Ffiona Sexton MPharm Hons
• Mr James Taylor MPharm Hons

Advanced Clinical Practitioners

There are many different types of Advanced Clinical Practitioners working within the NHS. The following practitioners work alongside our GPs at the practice. A description of their scope of practice is given for each.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners

The advanced nurse practitioner is sometimes described as a hybrid role because, although it holds true to the underpinning philosophy of nursing practice, it also encompasses a skillset traditionally considered to be that of doctors. They can assess a patient, make a diagnosis and provide treatment, just like a doctor. However they do this within a clearly defined scope of practice that is agreed with their employer, and the level of medical complexity that they deal with is usually less than that of a doctor.

• Mr Damian Crowley – BSc Nursing, Non Medical Independent Prescribing.

Physician Associate

• Miss Elizabeth Edwards – BSc (Hons) Degree Biomedical Sciences, MSc Physician Associate studies
• Mr Bashir Mehmood – MSc Physician Associate Studies

Physician associates are medically trained, generalist healthcare professionals, who work alongside doctors and provide medical care as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. Physician associates are practitioners working with a dedicated medical supervisor, but are able to work autonomously with appropriate support. Physician associates work within a defined scope of practice and limits of competence. They:

• take medical histories from patients
• carry out physical examinations
• see patients with undifferentiated diagnoses
• see patients with long-term chronic conditions
• formulate differential diagnoses and management plans
• perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• develop and deliver appropriate treatment and management plans
• request and interpret diagnostic studies
• provide health promotion and disease prevention advice for patients.

Mental Health Clinical Team

The Mental Health Clinician team works with people whose presenting needs appear to be related to their mental health or who are known to the surgery as people with mental health problems. It is anticipated that people who present to the surgery requesting to see someone in relation to their mental health are reviewed by the clinician who will offer a CPN appointment where available as an alternative to an appointment with a GP.

Physiotherapy First Contact Practitioner Service

The physiotherapy service based at Four Elms provides a physiotherapy triage service and, where appropriate, brief therapeutic interventions for patients with musculoskeletal disorders registered at the practice. It is anticipated that people who present to the surgery requesting to see someone in relation to musculoskeletal issues are reviewed by the clinician who will offer a physiotherapy appointment as an alternative to an appointment with a GP.

Healthcare Support Workers (HCSW)

Healthcare Assistants support the doctors and nurses with their clinical duties. They provide invaluable support in providing basic and routine duties to support the practice. Often HCA have dual roles as receptionist and HCA so can help support patients from both aspects. HCA provide blood pressure monitoring, chaperone services, basic wound care, ECG and phlebotomy services as examples.

• Tina Matthews
• Harriet Gill
• Michelle Ryan
• Rachel Beard

Our HCSWS supports the practice nurses with their daily work and carry out tasks such as phlebotomy (drawing blood), blood pressure measurement and basic wound care.