GP Nursing, Workforce Development Plan - how are we doing

Health Education England has published a General Practice Nursing, Workforce Development plan - to read it click here for the link. The report has been written by a HEE Task and Finish group chaired by Dr Peter Lane, who is a GP in Barnsley and the lead behind the Yorkshire and Humber Advanced Training Practice Initiative.

The report looks at four key issues:

  • Entry into general practice – raising the profile as a first career choice and increasing the availability of training placements for students
  • Establishing the role of the GP Nurse – ensuring appropriate training and support is available for new GPNs  
  • Enhancing the role with professional development and career progression
  • Expanding the healthcare support workforce with standardised training and career paths.
    • We have been reviewing the recommendation of the report and looking at how the work of the Wakefield General Practice Workforce Development Academy is addressing these recommendations and then RAG rating ourselves!

    Recommendation 1:
    Raising the profile of general practice nursing, to increase the uptake of the role as a first-destination career

    We have been working with our local Advanced Training Practice hub to increase the number of pre registration clinical nurse placements. The team has been going to career fairs to promote general practice as a career destination and we aim to develop a programme to offer pre-employment opportunities in healthcare in Wakefield.

    Recommendation 2:
    Improving training capacity for the general practice nurse workforce by providing access to accredited training to equip them for each level of their role including preceptorship.

    We are developing a GP practice nurse competency framework and undertaking a gap analysis that will enable us to be able to commission, provide or signpost GP practice nurses to appropriate training to ensure their competencies.

    Recommendation 3:
    Increasing the number of high quality pre-registration nurse clinical placements in general practice

    This is the role of our local Advanced Training Practice. The number of placements has been static in the last 12 months. The Academy is keen to encourage our ATP and practices to take more pre-registration students.

    Recommendation 4:
    Every nurse considering returning should be offered a specific general practice ‘return to practice’ programme

    The Academy is in the process of developing a preceptorship programme that will be offered to new graduate nurses and returner to nursing

    Recommendation 5:
    Developing GPN educator and leadership roles and develop mentorship programmes to grow the capacity of nurse education in a general practice setting.

    The Academy has plans to offer a GP Nurse leadership programme. We had originally submitted a bid to HEE for funding but this was 'put on hold'. We are in the process of agreeing a local scheme because we believe this is vital to the development of our local GPN workforce.

    Looking at the recommendations none of the recommendations are new to us. We are undertaking work to address all of the recommendations. I have rates ourselves as amber because although we have done a substantial amount of work to address these recommendations and almost have something to offer to practices, we have not started delivery of the product of our work yet!



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