New Roles in Our Team

Our Clinical Team
At Elm House Surgery, there has always been an ethos of learning and development for our staff. We
have continued to achieve this over the years by welcoming GP trainees into the practice for their
vocational training as well as employing staff across the Primary Care spectrum called Allied Health
Professionals.
As part of the NHS Long-Term Plan, there has been a drive to increase the number of Allied Health
Professionals within Primary Care. This is due to the ever-increasing demands on GPs and the need
to ensure the right workforce, with the right skills, is in the right place to deliver high-quality care.
As a patient, you may get seen by any one of these Allied Health Professionals when you have an
appointment. We understand that some of the titles may be confusing. So we have outlined the
different Allied health professionals we employ at Elm House Surgery and their roles within the
practice:

• Clinical Pharmacists: Our Clinical Pharmacists play a crucial role in medication management.
  They work closely with our doctors to optimise drug therapy, prevent medication-related
  issues, and educate patients about their medications. This collaboration ensures safe and
  effective treatment plans.
• Advanced Nurse Practitioners: (ANPs) are experienced nurses
  with specialised training, allowing them to diagnose and treat a variety of health conditions.
  They provide high-quality primary care, perform physical exams, order and interpret
  diagnostic tests, and prescribe medications, all while emphasising a holistic and patient-focused approach.
• Physician Associates: (PAs) are highly skilled healthcare professionals
  who work independently, and can diagnose, investigate and provide treatment plans for
  patients. They can approach our GPs for advice if required. Prescribing is not within their
  scope of practice. As such, any prescriptions will be signed off by a Clinical Pharmacist or a
  GP. PAs are integral members of our team, ensuring timely and efficient patient care.
• First Contact Physiotherapists: (FCPs) are qualified autonomous clinical practitioners who can assess, diagnose, investigate, treat and discharge a patient with any musculoskeletal complaint without a medical referral – where appropriate. They can also refer onwards for further intervention to the specialised Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (MCATS) or to the Orthopaedic
  Team.
• Mental Health Practitioners: (MHPs) are experienced professionals who can support patients with either a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health concern. This could be one or a number of mental health symptoms such as anxiety,
  low mood, loneliness, grief, hallucinations or stress.
• GP Trainees:
  As a training practice, our GP Trainees work as part of the clinical team. A GP Trainee is a qualified
  doctor who already has hospital experience and who is now undertaking specialty training for
  General Practice. Whilst they are with us, they are always working under the supervision of a fully
  trained GP. They will usually see you by themselves but will seek further advice from the supervising
  GP where needed.