Practice nurses ‘influential and clinically vital’ part of the NHS, finds report

General practice nurses (GPNs) are an ‘influential and clinically vital’ part of the NHS and are increasingly taking more clinical workload off their GP colleagues, a new report has highlighted.

The Power of Practice Nurses report – based on an exclusive Nursing in Practice survey of more than 600 GP nursing staff – explores the value of GPNs within primary care as their remit evolves within a changing NHS landscape.

It provides insight into the leadership and influence of practice nurses, including that 49% prescribe medicines, 70% conduct regular reviews across a range of different clinical areas and nearly half are changing medications or dosages when needed.

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Furthermore, 41% directly influence the ordering and purchasing of medicines and monitoring equipment for asthma and COPD, and more than a third (35%) do the same within diabetes. Some 48% said they led cost-saving prescribing initiatives.

Launched this month and authored by Cogora’s director of content Gemma Collins, the report also shines a light on the way in which practice nurses lead initiatives around clinical policy, quality improvement, and clinical audits, and are instrumental in helping practices meeting Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).

A foreword to the report from the Royal College of Nursing’s executive director for England, Patricia Marquis, described nurses in general practice as ‘independent clinicians who lead in assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, planning, and delivering care’.

But despite the ‘vital’ role played by GPNs, Ms Marquis warned ‘they are often overlooked within the NHS’ – including that many have to fight for a pay rise and struggle to access development opportunities.

Separately, a GPN and prescriber quoted in the report describes nurses as the ‘real jewel of any practice’ as they take on a huge amount of responsibility by coordinating the delivery of care, training staff, ensuring compliance, and managing nursing teams.

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‘Without them, the practice doesn’t really run. There are so many things that practice nurses do behind the scenes, that make the practice run well, and that other members of the team sometimes don’t know about or realise,’ they added.

In addition, GP, associate trainer and medical writer Dr Keith Hopcroft wrote in the report that the ‘valued skill and input’ of GPNs ‘brings with it influence’.

‘The nursing voice is highly significant within the practice,’ he added.

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The report comes as part of Nursing in Practice’s How Nurses Count campaign which aims to aims to highlight the true value of GPNs by demonstrating their leadership, innovation and influence.

Download the report in full here.