Skip to main content
Language Translation
Language Translation requires Additional Cookies enabled

THERE'S MORE TO YOUR GP PRACTICE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK - MEET YOUR GP PRACTICE TEAM

The NHS in Coventry and Warwickshire is highlighting a campaign to help local people understand how their GP practice works, what types of appointments are on offer and what kind of healthcare professionals work there. 

Local GP, Dr Sarah Raistrick, said: “There is much more to GP practices than most people might think. Not only are practices home to doctors, but also to several other healthcare roles. 

“Alongside doctors, there is a team to support patients’ health and wellbeing including physiotherapists who specialise in muscle and joint conditions; clinical pharmacists who are experts in medicines; and nurses who can diagnose and treat a range of conditions, take bloods and give vaccinations.

“In addition to these traditional clinical roles, some practices may employ health and wellbeing coaches who work with patients on lifestyle and diet, or social prescribers who connect people to community groups and services for practical and emotional support. These services might be run by the council or a charity. For example, a social prescriber can signpost someone with dementia to a local dementia support – or someone experiencing loneliness to a local coffee morning or gardening club.”

The range of roles may differ between practices, but most practices are embracing additional healthcare roles to enhance their offer to patients.

As well as face-to-face appointments, patients can now speak to their GP or other healthcare professional from the comfort of their home via telephone and video calls. GP practices are adopting new technologies, which came into sharper focus during the pandemic, to support patient care. E-consultations are another way of contacting your GP practice via online forms that are assessed remotely by GPs before a course of action is decided. 

GP practices are home to a team of trained professionals dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of their patients. 


< back