Practice Nurses
Practice Nurses
The overall remit of the LMC is to represent NHS GPs. However, Londonwide LMCs is actively working with practice nurses on a number of developmental and educational initiatives. Do let us know how we can help you in ensuring general practice across the capital is high quality.
See our special edition GPN newsletter for more information on how Londonwide LMCs has been supporting nurses working in general practice.
Take a look at our online General Practice Nurse Training Programme for nurses new to or returning to general practice.
The training programme consists of a number of units delivered through a dedicated website with dedicated tutorial support, as well as two face-to-face taught days.
The programme originally started life as the brainchild of three practice nurses: Suzie Clements, Sue Crossman and Sue Cross. As General Practice Nurses (GPNs) themselves, they have experienced the gaps in the training available to nurses and have used this understanding as the bases of the development of this programme, on behalf of Londonwide LMCs.
The training programme consists of eight practical modules covering:
- Finding your feet in general practice
- General treatment room skills
- Emergency situations
- Immunisation and vaccination
- Long-term conditions
- Sexual health
- Mental health
- Career development
In addition, all users of the programme will attend two taught days that are inclusive in the price of £450. Please note that block booking discounts can be negotiated. For further information on the programme please contact info@generalpracticenurse.org.uk.
Latest news for practice nurses
- LMC newsletters (1 September 2010) – Our LMC newsletters for September 2010 are now available
- Your LMC in action – revised guidance section on our website (1 September 2010) – We have added a guidance by category section to our website in response to feedback from you, our users
- Let’s raise the media profile of general practice together (1 September 2010) – We need need your help to show the media and the public what is great about general practice in the capital
- Invest in your most valuable asset – your staff! Londonwide LEAD (Learning Education and Development) is here to help (1 September 2010) – Courses from Londonwide LEAD to help you invest in your most valuable asset, your staff, to build stronger teams and deal with the challenging times ahead
- Londonwide buying group latest news! (1 September 2010) – Latest offers from the Londonwide Buying Group, part of the Federation of Buying Groups run successfully by Nottingham LMC
- The White Paper - latest guidance from Londonwide LMCs - 5 August 2010 (5 August 2010) – Our latest guidance and links to the consultations on the Government's White Paper on the NHS
- Calling all practice nurses - important public health workshop on 3 November 2010 (3 August 2010) – Our second practice nurse workshop of the year takes place on Wednesday 3 November 2010 and covers men’s health, the prevention of teenage pregnancies and women’s health
- New online training programme for the capital’s practice nurses (9 April 2010) - Londonwide LMCs has launched a brand new and exclusive online training package for the capital's practice nurses
Don't forget to visit the Royal College of Nursing website which includes information previously held on the Working in Partnership Programme (WiPP) website.
The WiPP General Practice Nursing (GPN) initiative set out to develop a range of core principles to support the general practice nurse. The initiative is now helping to improve standards across England and diminish anomalies in roles, skills and remuneration in general practice nursing. The GPN toolkit is already driving significant change and is actively helping general practice nurses, general practice employers, PCTs, education providers and patients.
The general practice nurse toolkit has been developed by WiPP and can be accessed from the Royal College of Nursing website.
We have also been working hard to expand the services that we provide to GPs and their practice teams, in particular, looking at the provision of a broader range of education and training. We established Londonwide Learning Education and Development (LEAD) in 2008 which focuses on providing training for GPs, practice managers and practice nurses across the capital.
LEAD has increased the provision of practice nurse focused training with the help of Sue Cross, Practice Nurse Advisor to Londonwide LMCs. Sue has experience of being a practice nurse, nurse practitioner and an Associate Director of Primary Care Nursing. Practice nurse forums were held on 17 March, 30 June and 17 November 2009.
The aim of these forums was to bring together nurses that may, in some cases, work in isolation, or who would like to discuss and learn more about clinical and non clinical issues that will affect their profession.
WiPP produced a booklet on professional development support standards for nurses in general practice in March 2008.
This was produced as a result of a national WiPP survey of practice nurses indicating that some nurses did not have access to appropriate education or professional development and their employment terms were seen to be very variable.
The booklet offers ‘at a glance’ information on the essentials for support that should be available for all practice nurses.
The standards are divided into four sections. Each section identifies the relevant standards to which nurses should be entitled.
| Document | Source | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Accepting donations from patients - GPC guidance | GPC (August 2007) | 3 Aug 2007 |
| Access to Health Records Requests under the Data Protection Act 1998 - Guidance for Access to Health Records Requests under the Data Protection Act 1998 | DH (June 2003) | 28 Apr 2010 |
| Access to healthcare for asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers - BMA Medical Ethics Department guidance | BMA (September 2008) | 15 Sep 2008 |
| Chaperones - Guidance on the role and effective use of chaperones in primary and community care settings | NHS Clinical Governance Support Team, June 05 | 7 Aug 2007 |
| Charging patients - Frequently asked questions | GPC (April 2008) | 29 Apr 2008 |
| Child protection procedures - Updated LMC guidance | LMC (October 2007) | 18 Oct 2007 |
| Child protection toolkit - BMA toolkit for practices | BMA (April 2009) | 9 Jun 2009 |
| Choose and book - Responsibilities and operational requirements for the correct use of Choose and Book | BMA/DH (December 2009) | 15 Dec 2009 |
| Complaints Procedure, The NHS - BMA Guidance on the requirements of the NHS complaints system, providing advice on dealing with complaints that come into the practice. | BMA (August 2009) | 1 Apr 2010 |
 | Complementary therapists - referrals to - GPC guidance | GPC (April 2006) | 10 Aug 2007 |
| Constitution - NHS - LMC guidance document on the content of the NHS Constitution | LMC (March 2010) | 25 Mar 2010 |
| Contract negotiation and relevant contract law - LMC guidance to help you secure your future | LMC (November 2008) | 18 Nov 2008 |
| Dental problems: "Patients presenting with dental problems” - Guidance on GP responsibilities | GPC (December 2005) | 8 Aug 2007 |
| Disability Discrimination Act guidance for GP premises - Updated GPC guidance | GPC (January 2010) | 11 Jan 2010 |
| Electronic Patient Records - Good practice guidelines for General Practice from the DH | DH (July 2005) | 8 Aug 2007 |
| Extended Access 2008/09 - Focus on guidance | GPC (April 2008) | 10 Apr 2008 |
| Extended access FAQs - Frequently asked questions on the LMC's extended access LES | LMC (April 2008) | 16 Apr 2008 |
 | Firearms - Guidance from the BMA’s Ethics Department | BMA (February 2004) | 8 Aug 2007 |
| Forming partnerships, limited liability partnerships and companies - LMC guidance to help you secure your future | LMC (November 2008) | 18 Nov 2008 |
| Fraudulent registration by patients - Focus on guidance | GPC (July 2006) | 9 Mar 2009 |
| Freedom of Information Act (2000) - Link to overview on the BMA website | BMA (2006) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| Freedom of Information Act (2000) - completing your publication scheme - Guidance for completing your model publication scheme | NHS/BMA (July 2003) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| Freedom of Information Act (2000) - frequently asked questions - Updated guidance from the GPC | BMA (March 2009) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| Freedom of Information Act (2000) - model publication scheme - Joint NHS/BMA guidance for GPs | NHS/BMA (July 2003) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| Freedom of Information Act website - Link to the FoIA website | NHS | 10 Aug 2007 |
| GMS Contract Agreement 2010 - Focus on Guidance | BMA | 5 May 2010 |
| GP practice - a guide for community pharmacists and pharmacy staff - Joint GPC, PSNC and NHS Employers guidance | GPC, PSNC, NHS Employers (April 2010) | 16 Apr 2010 |
| Guns - Guidance from the BMA’s Ethics Department | BMA (February 2004) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| Hepatitis B immunisation for employees at risk - GPC guidance | GPC (August 2005) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| How your practice is funded - Focus on guidance | GPC (October 2008) | 28 Oct 2008 |
| Improving care pathways - The latest joint paper produced by the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) and the Central Consultants and Specialists Committee (CCSC) | GPC/CCSC (January 2008) | 5 Feb 2008 |
| Influenza pandemic - preparing for - Joint GPC, RCGP and DH guidance for GP practices | GPC/RCGP/DH (December 2008) | 9 Jan 2009 |
| Keep my NHS GP local - Resource pack for GP practices | LMC (January 2008) | 1 Apr 2008 |
| Leg Ulcers and District Nurses - Enhanced Services Sub-group advice | GPC (March 2006) | 13 Aug 2007 |
| LMCs - the role of (updated) - Focus on guidance | GPC (updated February 2004) | 8 Aug 2007 |
| Media enquiries - how to handle the media - Guidance on how to handle media enquiries from Londonwide LMCs | Londonwide LMCs (March 2010) | 30 Mar 2010 |
| Mental Capacity Act - Guidance for GPs | BMA (October 2007) | 8 Oct 2007 |
| Non-GP partners' pension contributions and tax relief - GPC guidance | GPC (March 2005) | 9 Aug 2007 |
| Practice based commissioning (PBC) dual roles of commissioner/provider - GPC guidance on the dual role of the practice based commissioner and GP provider, avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring probity | GPC (January 2008) | 16 Jan 2008 |
| Practice based commissioning (PBC) in 2008-09 - GPC guidance on the state of play for PBC in 2008-09 | GPC (January 2008) | 16 Jan 2008 |
| Press release - how to write a press release - Guidance on how to write a press release from Londonwide LMCs | Londonwide LMCs (March 2010) | 31 Mar 2010 |
| Procurement and tendering for practices and services - LMC guidance to help you secure your future | LMC (November 2008) | 18 Nov 2008 |
| Professional development support standards for GP nurses - Working in Partnership Programme (WiPP) guidance | WiPP (2007) | 18 Sep 2009 |
| Removal of patients from their lists - January 2009 updated version of Removal of patients from GP lists guidance (April 2005). | BMA (30 Jan 2009) | 29 Apr 2010 |
| Summary care records - practical guidance for practices - Londonwide LMCs' guidance v1.1 | LMC (March 2010) | 11 Mar 2010 |
| Travel vaccinations - GPC guidance | GPC (September 2004) | 13 Aug 2007 |
| Violent and racially abusive patients – provision of care to - BMA guidance on the provision of care to violent and racially abusive patients | BMA | 13 Aug 2007 |
| Waste disposal - guidance on hazardous waste regulations - GPC guidance | GPC (July 2005) | 10 Aug 2007 |