Staff working within general practices in England are being urged to complete a new survey exploring the role and value of general practice nurses (GPNs).
The survey marks the final stage of a research project, commissioned by NHS England and led by consultancy firm Sonnet Advisory and Impact, which focuses on GPNs and the challenges they face.
Open to all practices – those with and without nurses – in England, the survey asks about staffing models and how general practice teams work to meet the needs of their patients and communities.
Crucially, the online questionnaire explores the role of the GPN and alternative staffing models used where nurses are not present in practices.
Researchers are requesting that just one member of staff from each practice in the country answer the survey and that this should be someone with a ‘good view’ of how their practice team works together.
Those behind the project have told Nursing in Practice how the findings will inform policy and provide an evidence base on ‘how the general practice workforce creates value for their patients, communities and the wider NHS’.
This research and survey builds upon an earlier report, by the consultancy firm and Sheffield Hallam University, which explored the role and value of GPNs in just three areas of England in 2021.
Findings so far have highlighted the ‘invaluable role that nurses can play within general practice’, said Sonnet Advisory and Impact.
A final report is due to be published in autumn this year.
The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and is open until 18 August 2023.
