What is the role of the General Practitioner?
| The role of a GP and how you access primary care has changed. Your GP continues to provide general health advice and care, however, when you come in for an appointment, what you see is only a small part of practice life. There is a lot that takes place that you might not see from reception contacting patients, virtual appointments, medication reviews, patient letters, clinics, training and much more. How can they help you? Contact your GP if you have an urgent care need, an illness that does not improve with self-treatment, are worried about your health, or have an ongoing health condition. If you feel like you need to contact your GP, please ensure that you’ve checked self-help guides online and / or spoken with your local pharmacist for advice on common ailments, their treatments and medication first. This is particularly important with winter viruses at this time of year. Most cough, cold and flu symptoms result from common winter viruses. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, so rather than calling your GP, the best advice is to stay at home and take traditional over-the-counter remedies. How can you make an appointment with a GP? You can contact your GP by calling your practice’s reception. Please know that to ensure that you’re accessing the right care, GP receptionists will triage by asking some confidential questions. They’ll then signpost you to the person or service that best meets your needs. This may be your GP, or it could be one of the services mentioned below. GPs now have access to support services that complement and support GP care including nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists. Before calling your GP, you’re encouraged to seek help via online resources as your symptoms could be treated at home. It is important that you use the resources available when you have a health issue. Think about the symptom finder of NHS Inform, use the NHS 24 app, and in addition there are other people around to seek help from. |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s services have evolved, and it’s crucial that you and your loved ones are well-informed and empowered to access the right professional at the right time. It’s also important to know when it’s appropriate to stay at home and care for yourself. You have a range of support services available that complement and enhance GP care, including advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists, vaccination nurses, and community links workers who focus on social and wellbeing support. Additionally, you can access services like dentists and optometrists in your local area. These professionals are part of your primary care team, serving as your front door to healthcare. |