More healthcare workers in GP practices
There’s a whole new team of people qualified to help you get the best from your health care service in your Thurrock GP practice. These new teams are already in place in Chadwell and Tilbury and Grays, and will soon follow in Corringham, Stanford-le-hope and Purfleet.
Paramedic
Trained in emergency medicine, paramedics can support with urgent medical needs, sometimes coming out of the practice and into your home. They will know about all illnesses and assess and treat problems as they arise.
Practice Based Pharmacist
These are qualified pharmacists who work in GP practices as part of a team of people who can support a patent with medicines and long term conditions (such as diabetes and COPD) as well as helping to diagnose specific problems.
Mental Health Practitioners
These specialist nurses can help with any mental health problems you might be experiencing.
Physician Associate
These medically qualified general health care professionals can see you for many health problems. They are supervised by GPs.
Advance Nurse Practitioners
They are fully qualified and will support you with every day health problems.
Physiotherapists
Fully qualified, physiotherapists can see you first in your GP practice for muscular or bone problems: no need for GP referral.
Social Prescribers
Available at surgeries across the borough, social prescribing is open to Thurrock patients over 18, and can support you with your health and wellbeing needs. They take time to listen to what matters to you and link you with services that can help ad support.
Meet some of the services available from Thurrock GP practices
The trained professionals now working in GP practices are able to help you with many common and specialist concerns. Below is a series of videos that explain the roles of different staff that might be working within your GP surgery and how they can support you to manage your health and wellbeing.
Care Navigator
Care Navigators are members of the surgery reception team who have been trained to help patients get the right care from the right healthcare professional, as soon as possible, by asking for a little more detail from the patient when they book an appointment. Watch the video below to find out more:
Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners are highly-trained professionals and can undertake complex reviews of patients, just like GPs. They can assess symptoms and build a picture of a patient’s condition, treat minor health problems, infections, minor injuries and prescribe medication where necessary. Watch the video below to find out more:
Clinical Pharmacist
Clinical Pharmacists are becoming more common place in GP practices and are highly skilled at reviewing medications for patients who have long term conditions. They can also treat minor illnesses and refer patients onto other services. Watch the video below to find out more:
Healthcare Assistant
Healthcare Assistants can assist with a range of minor clinical duties, like taking blood samples, blood pressure checks etc, under the guidance of the wider healthcare professional team. They work alongside the team and support with observing, monitoring and recording patients’ conditions to provide joined-up care. Watch the video below to find out more:
Paramedic Practitioner
Paramedic Practitioners or Emergency Care Practitioners carry out home visits and give advice over the phone to patients unable to travel to the surgery. Patients seen by a Paramedic Practitioner are normally elderly, infirm or nearing end of life.
This means doctors and other healthcare staff are able to see and treat more patients in the surgery. Watch the video below to find out more:
Physiotherapist
Musculoskeletal health issues such as back, muscle and joint pains are the most common cause of repeat GP appointments and account for around one in five of all GP appointments. Most of them can be dealt with effectively by a physiotherapist without any need to see the GP.
Research shows physiotherapists are the most expert professional group regarding musculoskeletal issues with the exception of orthopaedic consultants. They have the same high safety record as GPs and some are trained to administer steroid injections, order diagnostic tests including scans, and also prescribe medication.
Watch the video below to find out more: