1IMPROVE
EMPLOYMENT TERMS
2TAKE
ACTION ON WORKFORCE
‘ The government should ensure general practice nurses have the same pay , terms and conditions as their secondary care colleagues ’
Rebecca Corneck is a Queen ’ s Nurse and a director of general practice nursing for the Southeast London Workforce Development Hub . She also works in general practice one day a week , specialising in diabetes . She is passionate about the inequity of GPN pay , terms and conditions compared with nurses in NHS organisations .
Ms Corneck was one of a group of nurses who wrote to their PCN last year to ask that it mirror the maternity leave conditions received by GP colleagues – a request that has since been met . But there are many more GPNs across the country who only get statutory maternity leave or sick leave – who are only able to take the bare minimum amount of leave , and whose salary is far below that of nurses doing the same work .
‘ The NHS , practices , universities , and other stakeholders need to change the narrative , to encourage more nurses to choose general practice .’
Joanna Vintis , a general practice nurse for 13 years and lead nurse for Newcastle GP Services , a federation of GP practices in Newcastle , leads a pilot project to develop more student nurse placements within the city , encouraging more newly qualified nurses to consider primary care as a first-choice career destination .
As part of the project , Ms Vintis guides a cohort of nursing students through placements , and there are also opportunities for student-led clinics within practices .
The scheme is ‘ changing how newly qualified nurses perceive general practice ’, she says . ‘ There ’ s a lack of exposure to general practice . I ’ m passionate about making sure students see the amazing career we have . It ’ s a joy seeing a cohort of students fall in love with practice nursing .
Ms Vintis also supports all those working in nursing teams in general practice in Newcastle , including with
�nursinginpractice . com – for news and daily updates 9
GPN pay , terms and conditions ‘ is a postcode lottery ’, says Ms Corneck . ‘ Some practices , for example , pay a Band 4 nurse £ 19 an hour , while others pay £ 12 an hour – so there are massive disparities .’
This is having a major impact on GPN recruitment and retention , she warns . ‘ There are nurses who ’ d love to come into general practice , but simply can ’ t afford to .’
GPNs are specialist generalists and deserve the same pay , terms and conditions as secondary care colleagues , she says ‘ GPNs are very skilled – they see patients from birth to death and play an integral role in their lives .
‘ They need recognition , and the security of knowing they are recognised in Agenda for Change terms and conditions . And GPNs need to fight for their worth .’
“ There are nurses who would love to come into general practice , but they simply can ’ t afford to ”
career development advice and mentoring . ‘ A big problem for a lot of our new nurses was that access to training and support varied from practice to practice .’
To attract more nurses into general practice , and to retain them , ‘ we need to raise the nursing voice , and make sure we ’ re part of the conversation ’, she says . ‘ I also speak at universities and go to career events to raise the profile of practice nursing .’
She wants universities to ensure general practice nursing is included in curricula , and for practices to be given more remuneration for hosting student nurses .
It ’ s important that people ‘ understand what general practice nursing is about ’, she says . ‘ If GPNs felt valued and recognised we wouldn ’ t lose them .’
And GPNs need to ‘ open their door to learners ’. ‘ If we can change the culture – even just allowing a student into a clinic for half a day to see what GPNs do – we ’ d see a huge difference in recruitment .’
“ I ’ m passionate about making sure students see the amazing career we have in practice nursing ”
3TACKLE
INEQUALITIES
‘ Practices , PCNs , the NHS , and government , should do more to promote the health of our less well-off families .’
Rebecca Shearer , lead nurse and ANP at West Road Medical Centre in Newcastle , and a Queen ’ s Nurse , has been providing a ‘ one-stop health shop ’ from a local foodbank-turned welfare hub , as part of her ongoing drive to tackle health inequalities .
‘ People can drop in to discuss any aspect of health , including family health ,’ says Ms Shearer . ‘ A lot of my work is around respiratory conditions and going back to basics with patient education , such as using inhalers properly and smoking cessation advice .’
Without the time limits of general practice consultations , Ms Shearer can ‘ deliver key health messages in a more relaxed environment ’. She feels the scheme has been ‘ really making a difference ’.
The work is part of a project she is leading on health inequalities , funded by the Queen ’ s Nursing Institute .
Using that funding , she set up an initiative to help patients with long-term conditions better understand
their annual results letter . Many do not have English as a first language , so she made the letter more accessible , cutting back on written text and adding images .
Ms Shearer underlines the importance of tackling inequalities : ‘ If people don ’ t understand their conditions this can result in A & E presentations , and outcomes won ’ t improve if we don ’ t address social issues ,’ she says .
And all practices can do more to address inequalities . ‘ For example , by investing time in patients the first time you meet them , you could save on frequent contacts over the coming months . And through patient education you can improve health outcomes ,’ she adds .
It ’ s important for GPNs to share with others the work they are doing in this area . ‘ I ’ ve learned that innovation projects can provide an opportunity for collaborative working ,’ she says . ‘ So , shout about what you are doing . There will be others with similar interests , so join forces and tackle health inequalities together .’
“ Shout about what you are doing – others have similar interests , so join forces to tackle health inequalities ”