Meet your General Practice Team
Primary care services across the country provide the first point of contact in the healthcare system, acting as the ‘front door’ of the NHS. Primary care includes general practice, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry (eye health) services.
As part of General Practice, there are people working in a number of different roles alongside GPs that can all help you with your needs. Together they can get you the right care from the right healthcare professional as quickly as possible.
“Get the right care, from the right healthcare professional.”
Below we feature just some of the roles within your general practice team, who are here to help you.
Receptionists are often the first person our patients see. They use customer service and admin skills to welcome people to a hospital, health centre, clinic or NHS headquarters.
How can a Reception Team help you?
- booking appointments with the right healthcare professionals.
- identifying services you can access with a referral.
- making appointments for new care or services you might not be aware of.
Paramedic practitioners are trained to independently provide care that does not require the intervention of a doctor. They report directly back to the GP with the outcome of their visits and any updates on any treatment and medication that was given. The paramedics also work at the hubs during the weekends, triaging and seeing patients who did not require a GP to attend.
How can a Paramedic Practitioner help you?
I can help you by…
- attending home visits on behalf of your GP practice.
- assessing and treating health conditions.
- ordering tests and interpreting results.
Occupational therapists work with people of all ages and can look at all aspects of daily life in your home, school or workplace. They look at activities you find difficult and see if there’s another way you can do them. Occupational therapists help all kinds of people overcome all kinds of challenges, so they can live as fully and independently as possible. This might involve learning new ways to
do things, or making changes to their environment to make things easier.
How can an Occupational Therapist help you?
I can help you by…
- providing rehabilitation for you to stay well at home.
- empowering you to make improvements to day-to-day life.
- supporting you to self-manage health and work problems.
Care coordinators provide extra time, capacity, and expertise to support patients in preparing for clinical conversations or in following up discussions with primary care professionals. They work
closely with the GPs and other primary care colleagues within the primary care network (PCN) to identify and manage a caseload of identified patients, making sure that appropriate support is made available to them and their carers (if appropriate), and ensuring that their changing needs are addressed.
How can a Care Coordinator help you?
I can help you by…
- preparing you for conversations about your health and care.
- assessing and monitoring your health and care needs.
- focusing on what is important to you your care needs.
Pharmacy technicians are essential to the smooth running of pharmacies, making sure patients get the most out of their medicines.
How can a Pharmacy Technician help you?
I can help you by…
- showing you how to use your medicines.
- supporting medication reviews by the Clinical Pharmacist.
- advising you on your lifestyle choices.
General practice nurses work in GP surgeries as part of the primary healthcare team, which might include doctors, pharmacists and dietitians.
How can a Practice Nurse help you?
I can help you by…
- providing vaccinations and injections.
- supporting people with long-term conditions such as asthma and diabetes.
- providing family planning and sexual health advice, including smear tests.
Pharmacists make a difference to the lives of their patients through an expert knowledge of medicines and health.
Helping people live longer and healthier lives depends on the safe use of medicines and excellent healthcare advice. Pharmacists’ unique expertise and knowledge makes them essential members of the healthcare team.
How can a Pharmacist help you?
Pharmacists can help you by:
- giving advice and information about your health and minor ailments.
- Supporting you to manage and get the best from your repeat prescriptions.
- supporting you to manage your long term conditions.
Would you like to become a Pharmacist? Find out more here.
Health and wellbeing coaches support people to self-identify existing issues and encourage proactive prevention of new and existing illnesses. They will predominately use health coaching skills to support people to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active participants in their care so that they can reach their own health and wellbeing goals.
How can a Health and Wellbeing Coach can help you?
Health and Wellbeing Coaches can help you by:
- identifying factors that may be impacting your health and wellbeing.
- coaching you to manage your condition or situation.
- linking you to helpful resources and support groups.
Find out more about Health and Wellbeing Coaches here: NHS England » Health and wellbeing coaches
Social Prescribing Link Worker
Social prescribing link workers connect people with local community activities and services that can help improve their health and wellbeing.
(Social Prescribing Link Workers may also be referred to as Link Coordinators, Community Link Workers, Link Workers, Wellbeing Coordinators or Social Prescribers)
A vital part of their role is to build relationships with the people they are helping by listening carefully to what’s important to them and what motivates them.
How can a Social Prescribing Link Worker help you?
Social Prescribing Link Workers can help you by:
- supporting with issues that are affecting your health and wellbeing.
- providing advice and support on social issues.
- linking you into local services, groups and activities.
If you think a Social Prescribing Link Worker could be the career for you, click here.
Nursing associates work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care for patients and the public, working across all four fields of nursing: adult, children’s, mental health, and learning disability. 
How can a Nursing Associate help you?
I can help you by
- Providing vaccinations and injections.
- Supporting people with long-term conditions such as asthma and diabetes.
- Providing family planning and sexual health advice, including smear tests.
Would you like to become a Nursing Associate? Find out more here.
Advanced Nurse Practitioners are autonomous in making decisions based on assessment, diagnosis and interpretation of test results. ANPs are able to independently prescribe appropriate medication, evaluate or refer to other specialists if necessary.
How can an Advanced Nurse Practitioner help you?
I can help you by
- diagnosing and treating minor illnesses.
- prescribing medication.
- giving advice and information about your health.
Physiotherapists focus on identifying and maximising movement to improve the health and wellbeing of patients. They’ll work with people on a daily basis, recommending exercises and using high-tech ultrasound equipment or even hydrotherapy pools, depending on the patients’ needs. Once a patient’s movement problem has been diagnosed, they’ll work with
them to determine a treatment plan. They’ll also promote good health and advise people on how to avoid injury.
How can a physiotherapist help you?
I can help you by
- diagnosing and treating muscular and joint conditions.
- advising on how to manage your condition.
- referring you to specialist services.
This page will be updated with further roles over the coming months.
This campaign follows Humberside LMC’s original #WeArePrimary campaign. You can view their original campaign here and these assets will also be merged into our campaign at a later stage.
Other resources
- ‘Help Us to Help You – Get the most out of your GP Practice’ – an East Riding of Yorkshire campaign, highlighting some of the small things patients can do to help get the most out of their GP practice.