An integrated care board (ICB) has launched an ad campaign to improve patients’ understanding of additional roles in general practice.
The campaign sees ARRS staff in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB explain their specialism and ‘why it could be better to see them first’.
It is intended to combat a lack of understanding around ARRS roles and reassure patients they will receive adequate care from non-GP clinical staff.
Chief medical officer for the ICB, Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, said: ‘There are significant advantages for patients in seeing the right person for your condition. It can save time, get treatment started more quickly and they can often spend longer with you than a standard GP appointment.
‘While these alternative professionals may not have the breadth of knowledge that a GP has, they are at least as expert in their specific field. If your GP receptionists or ‘care navigators’ ask about the nature of your condition it is so they book you an appointment with the right person.’
The video campaign will feature paramedics, first contact physiotherapists, clinical pharmacists, social prescribers and care co-ordinators.
