Summary of the Role:
What is it?
The GP Assistant (GPA) is a role that was created in order to relieve some of the pressure on GPs. Former RCGP Chair Dr Maureen Baker says the assistants would be ‘a cross between a healthcare assistant and a doctor’s PA’ which could provide a ‘short term injection of support’ for general practice.
What do GP Assistants do in practice?
GP Assistants (also known as Medical Assistants) support doctors in the smooth running of their surgery by handling the routine administration and some basic clinical duties enabling the GP to focus on the patient.
As a GP Assistant you will be trained to help with:
- Sorting all clinical post and prioritising
- Extracting all information from clinical letters that needs coding
- Dealing with all routine clinical post directly e.g. DNA letters, 2WW etc.
- Arranging appointments, referrals and follow up appointments of patients
- Preparing patients prior to going in to see the GP, taking a brief history and basic readings in readiness for the GP appointment.
- Dipping urine, taking blood pressure, ECGs & phlebotomy
- Completing basic (non-opinion) forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage forms e.g. ESA113 etc
- Explaining treatment procedures to patients including arranging follow up appointments
- Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies i.e. getting an on call doctor on the phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their consultation(s)
- Support the GP with immunisations/wound care
Entry criteria:
We would expect that the candidate is already considered competent in good patient care from their experience as members of a GP practice and be DBS checked to an enhanced level. The candidate must have a named GP mentor who will be responsible for supporting them through their competencies. Should a GP mentor not be able to guarantee regular tutorials then this framework is not achievable.
More information:
For further details including ‘How is the GP Assistant framework delivered?’ and ‘What are the entry criteria?’ please click here
Available Courses:
The GPA framework is an experiential course that is led by a GP at your practice. GPAs will need to dedicate one full day a week to the framework. Half a day working through the competencies on the online portal and writing up your evidence and half a day gaining hands on experience with their GP mentor. GP mentors may second GPAs to the practice nurse to help them train in areas relating to simple clinical duties such as blood pressures but they will ultimately be responsible for signing the GPA as competent.
This is a HEE funded project and as such bares no cost to the practice/learner. In fact your practice will be eligible for £1700 per candidate in recognition of the clinical time given to support learners and any training outlay, such as phlebotomy, you may decide to undertake. This will be paid to the practice on completion of the GPA Certificate and any reporting requirements have been met. We expect learners to have completed the framework in 9 months.
Places are limited to 1 learner per practice. Priority will be given to geographical areas and/or practices that HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN PART OF THE PILOT AND HAVE NO GPA IN PLACE. You will be informed via email if you have been successful in securing a place. If successful this email will be followed up with a telephone call to assure your suitability. Contact us via this email address to express an interest – Contact:- Please send applications and direct any questions to tamar.greenall@sthelensccg.nhs.uk or spinney.etpadmin@nhs.net or or call on 01744627547.
Further details can be found on the GP Assistant Flyer , here are some FAQs and an enrolment form can be found here GPA Learner Enrolment Form