Nursing Associates in General Practice

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

Bridging the gap between Healthcare Assistants and General Practice Nurses to provide a greater focus on patient care 

The NCL Training Hub, hosted by the Haringey GP Federation, is delivering a significant investment in the development of Nursing Associate roles across North Central London.

In response to an identified gap in the primary care workforce, the role of Nursing Associate supports Registered Nurses in our practices to deliver excellent patient care through a focus on more complex work such as prescribing, managing minor illness and triage.

Unlike other roles like Healthcare Assistants, the Nursing Associate is a regulated profession and as such it offers assurance around the quality, experience and skill level of individuals undertaking the role.

The Trainee Nursing Associates Apprenticeship Programme, delivered by North London Partners in Health and Care, offers the structured professional development and training needed to grow the numbers of Nursing Associates needed across North Central London NHS trusts as well as in GP practices and care homes.

Results and Impact

“The big change is the critical thinking behind what I do, knowing why something is happening, knowing what questions to ask. It’s about developing that clinical perspective. I can provide a totally different level of care; it’s a more rounded way of dealing with patients; more like a nurse. As an HCA I did lots of things, but I had a task-based approach which involved following protocols.” - Trainee Nursing Associate

Find out more about the role of Nursing Associate as well as the benefits and value these roles can bring to primary care and general practice.