Leading general practice nurse appointed to inform RCGP Council discussions

A pioneering general practice nurse (GPN) has been appointed to inform discussions and represent nursing within the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) Council.

Strategic nurse lead at the Staffordshire Training Hub and programme director of a trailblazing GPN school, Rachel Viggars has become the new standing observer and nursing/allied health professionals representative on the RCGP Council.

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In her new role, Queen’s Nurse Ms Viggars will contribute to discussions on the work of multidisciplinary teams within general practice at the invitation of the RCGP council chair – though she will not have voting rights on council decisions.

Ms Viggars has been the driving force of the GPN Foundation School in Staffordshire, together with training programme lead and fellow GPN Gill Boast, to help standardise practice nurse training and move away from a ‘pick and mix’ of education that many GPNs face.

She was also last week made a fellow of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing, alongside Ms Boast and Royal College of Nursing chief executive and general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger.

On her new appointment, Ms Viggars said she was ‘delighted’.

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‘It is a privilege to bring my nursing workforce expertise, alongside my wider experience in nursing and multidisciplinary practice, to help shape informed discussion and support work that strengthens general practice teams and enhances patient care across primary care.’

Meanwhile, chair of the RCGP Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown told Nursing in Practice: ‘We’re pleased to welcome Rachel as a standing observer and nursing and AHP representative on RCGP Council.

‘Nursing staff and other allied health professionals are vital members of general practice teams, so having a representative on Council – as we’ve had for many years – will be valuable.

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‘Rachel’s frontline and training experience will be an important asset to Council discussions on the work that multidisciplinary teams do to support GPs in delivering the best possible general practice care to patients.’

Ms Viggars was begins in the role following the RCGP’s latest Council meeting on Saturday 29 November and replaces Jenny Aston who stood down at a previous meeting.