|
About the Framework
Why Develop A Framework For Nursing In General Practice?
The New GMS contract
The new GMS contract is not purely a contract for GPs, but
a contract for General Medical Services, provided by a whole
practice team. This shift in emphasis creates significant
potential for nurses to take on new responsibilities and develop
new roles, including potentially developing nurse partners,
nurse led practices or the possibility of replacing GP posts
with nurses. Implementing the new contract will provide an
opportunity for many practices to reflect on staffing and
skill mix and plan future service delivery in ways that better
meet the needs of their patients. A framework will help inform
that debate and support their decisions.
Emphasis on Clinical and Organisational Quality
The emphasis on quality through demonstrating organisational
and clinical standards in the GMS contract creates a new focus
on good employment practice. The framework will be a means
of helping practices achieve those standards in relation to
practice nursing. Linking the framework into the RCGP's Practice
Accreditation and Quality Practice Awards could potentially
set a model of good practice in practice nursing that was
aspired to by practices and was beneficial in supporting their
recruitment of nurses.
Agenda for Change
The implementation of Agenda for Change for NHS employed staff
will create an expectation from practice employed nurses that
their knowledge and skills will be similarly rewarded. The
framework should provide a means to support practices that
wish to implement Agenda for Change.
Purpose Of The Framework
The purpose of the framework will be to:
- support the development of nursing services and roles
within general practice in response to changing need
- ensure the safety of practice nursing services by identifying
the competence required by nursing staff at all levels
- support changes in skill mix where appropriate, including
nurses taking responsibility for current medical duties,
development of enhanced nursing roles and the appropriate
use of skills within the nursing team
- support the local implementation of Agenda for Change
principles by practices
- enable practices to ensure that their practice nursing
workforce is fit for its new purpose
- support and promote professional education, including,
where appropriate multi-professional education.
- support effective links with the academic sector by ensuring
that competencies underpin future education provision
- Support good employment practice in primary care
Principles
It is intended that the framework is something that practices
and practice nurses will find useful in developing local services.
It will be produced as a resource for practices to support
their implementation of the new GMS contract. In order to
be effective, the framework:
- must support flexibility and local development rather
than being in any way prescriptive
- should form the basis for future educational developments
- must not cut across local flexibility and integration
within primary care nursing teams
- should form a basis for future development post implementation
of the contract
- must be valued by both practices and practice nurses.
Content And Format
The framework should be clear, concise & easily accessible.
It should provide a high level framework rather than being
overly prescriptive, but should provide sufficient detail
to be of value in supporting local developments. Key elements
of the framework are likely to include:
- clarification of the definition and purpose of practice
nursing
- a framework of competence which clarifies the baseline
for entry to safe practice and supports the expansion of
roles in response to need
- a framework of governance covering issues such as clinical
supervision, appraisal, development plans, access to education,
safety to practice and accountability.
|
