The primary health care team

Practice Manager

Practice Nurse

• Health promotion• Immunization• New registration checks• Specialists clinics eg Asthma,Diabetes• Administration• Audit

Nurse Practitioner

• Specially trained nurses who take on clinical responsibility

• Can see patients with chronic disease eg hypertension, diabetes, asthma, COPD,

• Give contraception advice• can prescribe antibiotics eg for UTI, otitis

media• See patients with low back pain, rashes and

other minor illness

• They alleviate pressure on GPs• They are at least as effective as GPs in the

roles they perform

District Nurses

• Have community nursing qualification• Look after chronically ill patients and those

recently discharged from hospital• Pressure sores, continence, palliative care eg

syringe drivers, bladder scans

Health Visitor

• Visit all babies after midwife ceases to attend• Carry out developmental assessment checks,

advise on general care and immunizations

Midwife

• Important link between hospitals, GPs and other members of the primary health care team in obstetric care

• Refer to a doctor in the event of complications but can practice independently when dealing with uncomplicated pregnancies

Receptionist

• Essential role as the interface between the general public and the GPs and the nursing staff

• At some practices they have head receptionist who sort out the rotas and repeat prescriptions

Administrative and clerical staff

• Scanning • Referral letters and choose and book• Letters for clinics eg flu clinic