Continuity of Care

Do you have trouble seeing the same Clinician?

This information advises you how best to see the Clinician that you want and whether you should see a Doctor or an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP).

Sometimes you may feel this doesn’t matter, but for longstanding problems or those that are new and under investigation it may be best to see the same one or two Clinicians if possible.

Planning Appointments – should allow you to choose the Clinician you want to see:

• If you ask to see a doctor or ANP urgently it can be more difficult to see a named Clinician as these appointments are given with the first available duty Clinician.  If the problem can wait a few days you have more chance of choosing your Clinician.
• The phone. Some problems can be dealt with (or a plan of action started) exclusively by telephone consultation.
• The Practice Nurses and Health Care Assistants can care for and follow up most long term conditions, and can involve the doctor in any treatment decisions.
• Please only see the doctor or ANP for things that need the doctor or ANP. Other health care professionals in the practice can see you for a variety of problems or procedures. This helps make Doctors and ANPs more available to see patients for illness.

Advanced Nurse Practitioners are fully qualified health professionals which can be from a nursing or Allied Health Professional background who have obtained further qualification at an advanced level so that they can become independent practitioners. They will have qualifications in advanced clinical examination, clinical decision making and are registered Independent prescribers.

The Practice Nurse should see you for:

• Asthma reviews, smears, injections, dressing changes and blood tests.

The Healthcare Assistant should see you for:

• All blood tests, Blood pressure checks, ECG, Urine tests, annual reviews.