General practice nursing ten point plan

In response to previously published plans and research, we developed General practice – Developing confidence, capability and capacity: a ten point action plan for general practice nursing that described the changes required to improve recruitment and retention, and encourage the return of nurses to general practice. The was led at the time by Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England and its overarching focus was to build and develop the capacity and capability that we need to see across the whole primary care workforce in order to enable us to manage more people’s health closer to home, as well as building general practice nursing capability to support improved and innovative approaches in delivering health and wellbeing.

All ten actions were part of an overall plan to develop general practice nursing. The actions identified complemented each other and the general practice nursing ten point action plan was in the overall context of the General practice forward view (GPFV).

The general practice nursing ten point action plan (GPN10PP) set out the measures required to bring about the changes that were needed, which were taken forward by NHS England, Health Education England, NHS Improvement, Public Health England, The Royal College of Nursing, The Royal College of General Practitioners, The Queens Nursing Institute and The British Medical Association. These organisations supported commissioners and providers to implement the actions at local level. Delivery of the ten point action plan at a local level was supported by one of four regional general practice nursing delivery boards.

General Practice at scale and new care models provide fresh opportunities for supporting general practice nurses to develop skills and advance their careers. This will assist recruitment and retention which will in turn ease GPs’ workload as well as improving the experience of care for individuals, the outcomes of care and treatment, the use of NHS resources and staff experience.

The general practice nursing workforce must be in the forefront of leading change by delivering better health outcomes in primary care, and by making primary care ‘the place to be’ for ambitious nurses who deliver world class care and support our population to live well.

The GPN10PP completed its programme activity in March 2021. The significant progress and objectives met by the programme are documented in ‘Elevating, enhancing, empowering – Delivering the general practice nursing 10 point plan’ (registration to Future NHS required).

Significant achievements and publications

Leading the way: The role and value of nurses in general practice in England – Sonnet Impact and Sheffield Hallam University completed research that has laid bare the unique contribution of general practice nurses and the importance of the profession under the NHS Long Term Plan.

The research report, which looks at what is being achieved in general practices across England, reveals four main arenas in which GPNs create value – within practices, with patients, amongst the community and across the wider NHS – and affirms that GP nurses provide expert clinical care, take a lead in helping patients manage their health conditions and act as a ‘super connector’ between other healthcare professionals within and outside the practice.

Primary care and general practice nursing career and core capabilities framework – Fundamentally this framework sets a standard and offers the opportunity for nurses at all levels to develop and evidence their knowledge and skills, enabling the highest standards of practice as well as providing a structure for career and role development within primary care.

General Practice Nurses, other members of the general practice multi-disciplinary team and those managing the development of General Practice Nursing can keep up to date and review the outputs of the GPN10PP in more detail within the ‘GPN Single Point’ (part of the primary care workforce Future NHS workspace – registration to Future NHS required).

For further information and updates

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