More than nine million appointments took place with GP practice teams in Kent and Medway over the last year. Nearly half of these appointments were with specialist clinicians such as clinical pharmacists and paramedics who are now core members of general practice teams.
These expanded teams are one of the ways that NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are working with primary care across the county to make sure that people get the right care from the right professional as quickly as possible.
Dr Simon Dunn, GP in Herne Bay , said, “Practices across Kent and Medway have expanded their workforces to include a variety of other trained professionals, from pharmacists to paramedics to social prescribers. Some of these roles are more easily recognisable than others but all are now essential members of our teams.
“Having access to this range of specialists means that we can make sure our patients are more likely to see the right person, first time, as quickly as possible.
Our reception teams are trained to be able to determine the right specialist to see, so you may find that they are asking more questions than in the past, but be assured that all information is treated confidentially.”
For more information on the roles you might be referred to, see our page on GP practice teams.