New opportunities for nurses and other healthcare professionals? A review of the potential impact of the new GMS contract on the primary care workforce
Journal of Health Organization and Management
ISSN: 1477-7266
Article publication date: 1 November 2006
Abstract
Purpose
The paper seeks to show that the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract will provide opportunities for NHS staff to enhance their roles, so it is important that adequate training assessment and quality control systems are set in place. This paper assesses the implications for NHS staff in primary care.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper a review of policy documents was undertaken.
Findings
The paper finds that enhanced services set out in the new GMS contract may be provided by primary care organisations and healthcare professionals other than those located in general practitioner (GP) practices. As nurses and other healthcare professionals take on tasks previously conducted by GPs, so GPs will take on more consultant tasks previously confined to secondary care. Personal Medical Services (PMS) and GMS are converging in their contractual obligations and the opportunities offered to staff. As well as General Practitioners with Special Interests (GPwSIs), Practitioners with Special Interests (PwSIs) are important developments, which could promote recruitment and retention in the nursing and allied health professional workforce. Nurses and other healthcare professionals will be the main source of staffing for services shifted from secondary care.
Practical implications
The paper shows that it will be important to identify whether these professionals can substitute for GPs, the boundaries to that substitution, and whether recruitment and retention are enhanced. Training for GPwSIs and PwSIs will be introduced or expanded but also needs accreditation and validation.
Originality/value
The paper provides an overview of the implications of the new GMS contract for nurses and other NHS professionals.
Keywords
Citation
Leese, B. (2006), "New opportunities for nurses and other healthcare professionals? A review of the potential impact of the new GMS contract on the primary care workforce", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 525-536. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777260610702271
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited