General Practice Nurses (GPNs) are integral to the delivery of patient care and vital to the ongoing sustainability of general practice, and essential for fulfilling the Fit for the Future NHS 10-year NHS plan.

They offer a wide range of essential services, including the management of chronic conditions, health promotion, routine screenings, and specialised nursing services such as contraception, sexual health, immunisations, wound care, travel health, and menopause management.

Operating within the scope of their professional competence, GPNs work both independently and collaboratively with multidisciplinary primary care teams, including pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, general practitioners, and specialist nurses. Their role is essential to ensuring comprehensive, high-quality care for patients across various healthcare settings.

NHS GPN Orientation video.

General Practice Nurses (GPNs) play a central role in primary care, focusing on preventative medicine, health promotion, and the management of a wide range of common conditions.

GPNs undertake a diverse range of roles and responsibilities, which makes the work both challenging and rewarding.

GPNs work with patients from all backgrounds, from birth to end-of-life care and everything in between, meeting the care needs in a community setting.

General practice nursing offers numerous opportunities for professional development and specialisation. Many GPNs enjoy the regular hours and flexibility of working in a general practice setting, which can enhance job satisfaction and work-life balance.

Understanding the role of general practice nursing | NHS England | Workforce, training and education

A career in general practice nursing: what you need to know | Nursing in Practice

Primary Care and General Practice Nursing career and core capabilities framework

 

The Nursing Degree Apprenticeship offers a pathway to become a registered nurse through part-time study and practical training. Apprentices are supported by their employers and complete placements in diverse clinical settings, studying with NMC-approved education providers and meeting the same standards as traditional nursing students. Further information is available here.

UK Gov Nursing Degree Apprenticeship

RCN Position of Nursing Apprenticeships.

 

A Nursing Associate is a role introduced in 2017 in England in the nursing team. They are responsible for delivering care and support to patients and service users.

While many Nursing Associates are employed within the NHS, an increasing number now work across primary care, social care, community services, hospices, and the independent sector, including GP practices. This role is currently regulated by the NMC exclusively in England.

NMC Becoming a Nurse Associate

RCN Becoming a Nurse Associate

 

A portfolio career refers to a professional pathway characterised by the pursuit of multiple roles across various organisations, rather than being confined to a single job. In Primary Care, there are numerous opportunities for secondments into different roles and organisations. This approach allows individuals to acquire new skills while also reinforcing and consolidating established competencies. For further information please see our Portfolio Career page.

All Nurses are subject the standards set out in The Code – Professional Standards of practice and behaviour of Nurses. It presents the professional standards that nurses, midwives, and nursing associates must uphold to be registered to practise in the UK.

It’s structured around four themes – prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety and promote professionalism and trust.

NMC Standards Code

Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses

 

A practice supervisor can be any registered health and social care professional working in a practice environment. They’ve been prepared and supported to take up their role and have up-to-date knowledge and experience relevant to the student they are supervising.

The NMC have guidance on education and training standards to help nursing, midwifery and nursing associate students achieve the NMC standards of proficiency and programme outcomes.

All nursing, midwifery and nursing associate professionals must practise in line with the requirements of the Code, the professional standards of practice and behaviour that nurses, midwives and nursing associates are expected to uphold.

The standards for education and training includes the standards framework for nursing and midwifery education, standards for student supervision and assessment, and programme standards specific to each approved programme.

Educators and Supervisors – BNSSG Training Hub

Our Standards for education and training are set out in three parts:

Part 1: Standards framework for nursing and midwifery education

Part 2: Standards for student supervision and assessmen

Part 3: Programme standards

Standards for pre-registration nursing programmes

Standards for pre-registration midwifery programmes

Standards for pre-registration nursing associate programmes

Standards for post-registration programmes

 

 

• Standards for prescribing programmes
• Standards for return to practice programmes

 

National

The Nursing & Midwifery Council – The Nursing and Midwifery Council

RCN – Home | Royal College of Nursing

The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing – – The charity for community nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Nursing family | Representing you | UNISON National

Local Forums

GPN forum- contact Liz Mallett for information and joining details- elizabeth.mallett1@nhs.net

BRIG (BNSSG respiratory interest group)- Contact Judi Dewar or Marieke Strange- judi.dewar@nhs.net or marieke.strange@nhs.net

Lead Nurse community of practice- contact Kim Ball for information kim.ball5@nhs.net

Fit for the Future 10 year health plan for England

The 10 Year Health Plan is the government’s strategy to create a future-ready NHS. It outlines three transformative shifts: moving care from hospitals to the community, transitioning from analogue to digital systems, and focusing on prevention rather than sickness. To enable these changes, the government will introduce a new NHS operating model, enhance transparency, develop a future-aligned workforce, reshape its innovation strategy, and adopt a new approach to NHS financing.

The Sonnet Report: Leading the Way’: The role and value of nurses in general practice in England

The Leading the Way research was the first to clearly define the unique role and value of General Practice Nurses (GPNs). It found that GPNs are expert healthcare professionals who frequently lead both clinical and non-clinical work, using their advanced skills to address the health needs of their communities.

NHS People Promise

Our NHS People Promise is a shared commitment to improving the working experience for everyone in the NHS. Shaped by feedback from NHS staff across various roles and organisations, it reflects what matters most to them. It aims (by 2024) to ensure that all NHS staff can positively describe their experience at work, based on the values and themes identified by the workforce itself.

CQC – GP Mythbusters

 

The QNI Standards of Education and Practice for Nurses New to General Practice Nursing 2020

 

General Practice Nursing induction template