Dieticians: Dietitians are healthcare professionals that diagnose and treat diet and nutritional problems, both at an individual patient and wider public health level. Working in a variety of settings with patients of all ages, dietitians support changes to food intake to address diabetes, food allergies, coeliac disease, and metabolic diseases. Dietitians also translate public health and scientific research on food, health, and disease into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

• Requirements: To practice, dietitians must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To register with the HCPC, completion of an approved degree in dietetics is required This is usually a BSc (Hons) degree, although there are shortened postgraduate programmes available. A degree apprenticeship standard in dietetics has also been approved.

Occupational Therapist: Occupational Therapists (OTs) support people of all ages with problems resulting from physical, mental, social, or developmental difficulties. OTs provide interventions that help people find ways to continue with everyday activities that are important to them. This could involve learning new ways to do things or making changes to their environment to make things easier. As patients’ needs are so varied, OTs help GPs to support patients who are frail, with complex needs, live with chronic physical or mental health conditions, manage anxiety or depression, require advice to return or remain in work and need rehabilitation so they can continue with previous occupations (activities of daily living).

• Requirements: A BSc degree in occupational therapy is required to work as an occupational therapist in any setting.

First Contact Physiotherapist: First Contact Physios will develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients and support patients to develop self-management skills and confidence to manage their condition. First Contact Physios can play a crucial role in creating stronger links with wider MSK services through clinical leadership, teaching and evaluation skills. They are expected to keep up to date and engage with national initiatives and lead this locally working with secondary care counterparts.

• Requirements: physiotherapy degree (BSc) is required to work as a physiotherapist in any setting.
• For band 7 roles HEE Primary care FCP capability training must be completed as the minimum threshold for entry to primary care and be supported by appropriate governance and indemnity.
• HEE primary care FCP training can begin 3-5 years post graduate

Health and Wellbeing Coach

Health and wellbeing coaches (HWBCs) will predominately use health coaching skills to support people with lower levels of patient activation to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active participants in their care so that they can reach their self-identified health and wellbeing goals. They may also provide access to self-management education, peer support and social prescribing.

Example tasks that role is trained to deliver:

• Offers 1:1 or group sessions with patients health and wellbeing support needs
• Research and audit
• Diet and lifestyle advice
• Health promotion

Social Prescribing Link Worker

Recognising that people’s health is determined primarily by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, social prescribing seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way. It also aims to support individuals to take greater control of their own health.

Social prescribing schemes can involve a variety of activities which are typically provided by voluntary and community sector organisations. Examples include volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice and a range of sports.

Being a GP is a job embedded in the local community, with patients, within a team of primary care and community staff.

They see patients with an enormous range of complaints – physical, emotional and social. They diagnose, treat and refer patients for specialist care. By listening, questioning, examining and investigating they look after individuals, families and communities from ‘cradle to grave’.

General Practitioners work with local public health teams, schools, statutory and voluntary bodies to keep patients healthy, and identify and treat disease.

Requirements: GP training is a 3 year speciality training scheme after the initial 2 foundation years training undertaken by all newly qualified medical students. It is usually a combination of time working in hospital and in an accredited training practice under the supervision and support of a GP trainer.

Physician Associate

Work to complement GPs and the practice team. They are dependent practitioners who remain under the supervision of a named GP, to add extra capacity and flexibility. Like all clinicians, they are committed to on-going learning and development.

Physician Associates (PAs) must pass an intensive 2-year university course at diploma or masters level, followed by National exams. Currently the PA course is a post graduate course and only a few undergraduate courses. It is recommended all individuals have completed a 3-year biomedical or healthcare related degree.

What do physician associates do?

• 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

 

Physician Associate

Work to complement GPs and the practice team. They are dependent practitioners who remain under the supervision of a named GP, to add extra capacity and flexibility. Like all clinicians, they are committed to on-going learning and development.

Physician Associates (PAs) must pass an intensive 2-year university course at diploma or masters level, followed by National exams. Currently the PA course is a post graduate course and only a few undergraduate courses. It is recommended all individuals have completed a 3-year biomedical or healthcare related degree.

What do physician associates do?

• 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

Routes into Nursing:

Nursing Associates

Nursing Associate role is to work alongside other healthcare professionals such as registered nurses and healthcare support workers.  The two year course includes a range of clinical settings to gain experience and one day a week academic learning. Nursing associates are employed by a specific healthcare setting during their training. To become a nursing associate you’ll need GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or key skills level 2 in maths and English.

Nursing Degree Apprenticeships

Nursing degree apprenticeships offer an alternative route into nursing rather than full-time university study. You will still take the same academic study as those at university and still be accountable by NMC standards but can be more flexible and on average takes four years to complete the course.  You will need to secure a position as a nursing degree apprentice and your employer will need to release you to study. As this is degree level you will need similar qualifications as those doing full time nursing degree.

Pharmacists

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.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
  Minimum of 2 years’ experience as a pharmacist, demonstrated within a practice portfolio.
• Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
• May hold or be working towards an independent prescribing qualification.
• Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate
• Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct Involves patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence as per NICE guidelines.

Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians play an important role within general practice and complement the more clinical work of clinical pharmacist, through utilisation of their technical skillset. Their deployment within primary care settings allows the application of their acquired pharmaceutical knowledge in tasks such as audits, discharge management, prescription issuing, and where appropriate, informing patients and other members of the Primary Care Network (PCN) workforce. Work is often under the direction of clinical pharmacists, and this benefit is realised through the creation of a PCN pharmacy team.

Requirements

• Pharmacy Technicians need to be registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Practice Manager Requirements

You can become a Practice Manager from a range of different backgrounds. You don’t necessarily need to be a qualified healthcare professional.

Qualifications and experience required will vary, but employers may look for a management qualification and experience of working in the NHS/general practice can be an advantage. Most often, you would be an accomplished manager with experience of leading and managing a team.

Skills and attributes required by employers often include;

• Leadership and motivational skills
• The ability to manage a changing environment
• Good communication skills
• Organisational skills
• Confidence with information technology