What is a General Practice Assistant? What do they do?
The GPA role was introduced in 2018 to safely deliver a combination of routine administrative tasks and some basic clinical duties in the general practice setting. Their focus is on supporting General Practitioners in their day-to-day management of patients, specifically aimed at reducing the administrative burden, making best use of consultations and supporting those particularly vulnerable to isolation who are regular attenders at the practice.
Key Information
Scope of Practice
A General Practice Assistant will support GPs in the smooth running of the surgery by handling routine administrative tasks and some basic clinical duties, helping to free up the GP’s time. They work with the direction of the GP, who has overall responsibility for medical care. Depending on the practice’s needs, a GP Assistant can be trained to help with:
- Sorting all clinical post and prioritising
- Extracting all information from clinical letters that needs coding
- Dealing with all routine clinical post directly e.g . DNA letters, 2WW etc
- Arranging appointments, referrals, and follow up appointments of patients
- Preparing patients prior to going in to see the GP, taking a brief history and basic readings in readiness for the GP Appointment
- Dipping urine, taking blood pressure, ECG’s and phlebotomy
- Completing basic (non-opinion) forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage forms e.g. ESA113 etc
- Explaining treatment procedures to patients including arranging follow up appointments
- Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies i.e. getting an on call doctor on the phone to ask advise or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their consultations
- Support the clinical team with immunisations/wound care.
Training Requirements
Candidates should be considered competent from their experience as practice administrators or healthcare assistants and possess a current Enhanced DBS disclosure.
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Award in General Practice Assistant – (foundation degree level). This qualification is not regulated by Ofqual or SQA or any other regulatory body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is a Pearson’s Self-Regulated Framework (SRF) which means that it is a course that is not benchmarked against the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and has not been validated by either Ofqual or the QAA. These courses can be used for professional and personal development, but universities do not recognise them for admissions.
This programme is based on self-directed learning and there is no formal training provided externally to the practice.
Learners will need to dedicate one full day a week to the course, which can be achieved flexibly whilst remaining in their place of work. Half a day will be spent working on an online portal to provide evidence of their learning, and half a day gaining hands-on experience with a GP mentor or appropriate member of the Practice/PCN workforce.
The course takes 9 months to complete.
GPA Programme Evaluation
Funding
There is no charge for participating in this programme. There will be a total of £2,120 paid to PCNs and GP practices per GPA. This would be split between £1,700 plus a further £420 for the GPA mentor. Therefore, a total of £2,120 will be paid directly to the GP practice taking part. The £1,700 is to be used to support protected learning time for the GPA whilst they are undertaking the learning programme. The £420 is to support 1:1 sessions and mentoring time.
Supervision Requirements
Learners will need to be supported by a named GP in practice who will act as mentor and assessor. Trainees may spend time with others, such as practice nurses to gain experience in clinical duties such as blood pressure measurement, but the GP mentor will ultimately be responsible for signing-off the GPA as competent.
Learning & Development
The qualification gives learners the opportunity to:
- Develop the fundamental technical skills and underpinning knowledge and understanding required to become competent in the job role. These cover the following areas: administration; care; clinical; communications; and managing health records.
- Develop appropriate professional attitudes and behaviours that will support personal success in their job role and the long-term success of their organisation
Develop a range of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to support progression to, and success in, further study and career advancement
Devon Training Hub Offers
The GP Assistant (GPA) programme has proven its value in supporting practices by reducing the administrative burden on GPs and improving overall efficiency. We now have limited places available and are encouraging practices to invest in this training opportunity for their staff. By training a GP Assistant, your practice can benefit from a more streamlined workflow, allowing GPs to focus more on patient care while supporting a multi-skilled workforce. This is also a great opportunity to recognise and develop the skills of existing staff who may already have valuable experience within your practice. Additionally, there is funding available to support both the trainee and the GP mentor throughout the programme, making it easier for you to invest in your team’s growth.
Key Facts:
- Level 4 qualification (equivalent to Foundation Degree)
- 9-month programme
- One day per week off the job learning support
- GP Mentor required to sign off work (other mentors can be used for support)
- A funded programme £2,120 will be paid directly to the GP practice
- Supports staff retention & development
- Flexible role proven to improve access & streamline workflow.
For further information, application and evaluation of the programme:
General Practice Assistants (GPAs) | Primary Care Roles | Devon Training Hub
Not quite made your mind up – listen to this podcast from Cornwall Primary Care Training Hub regarding the benefit of GP Assistants in Practice
GP Assistants: Easing the Workload in General Practice (buzzsprout.com)
More queries please contact devon.traininghub@nhs.net
How to apply:
- Practice manager needs to complete the first page of the form (one form per applicant) press submit. This sends an email to the GP Assistant asking them to complete the next step.
- GP assistant completes their information and submits the form. This sends an email to the GP Mentor.
- The GP mentor completes their section and submits the form.
- The application is received by Devon Training Hub for checking and approval. Acceptance on to the programme happens once the closing date for applications has been received.
Application link: https://remote.ipegs.co.uk/webforms/NDE4MDU=
