Highlighting the value you bring to general practice

It is fair to say that there have been very mixed reports of general practice during the pandemic. The vast majority of practices have remained open for business for their registered population, with infection prevention and control measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus. General practice nurses have risen to the challenge and have continued to serve their communities with face-to-face and virtual consultations as appropriate.

It is just a very few employers who have generated a poor image for general practice, creating anxiety among the population that they may not get to access their GP services as needed. Such an approach has also led to some nurses having significantly reduced contract hours and in some cases being asked to take statutory sick pay only when being required to self-isolate.

The Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) is aware of this both through our self-referrals for the ‘TalkToUs’ service and the NHS England/NHS Improvement commissioned report on general practice nurses' experiences in the first wave of the pandemic. This document will be published in due course and I am sure it is already helping to inform strategic work and the support for nurses in general practice as we head into the second wave of the pandemic.