- Clinical Pharmacists
- First Contact Physiotherapy
- Health & Wellbeing Coaches
- Mental Health Team
- Social Prescribing Service
We have a contractual relationship with Core Prescribing Solutions for Clinical Pharmacy Support. Clinical Pharmacists are increasingly working as part of general practice teams. They are highly qualified experts in medicines and can help people in a range of ways. Clinical Pharmacists work as part of the general practice team to improve value and outcomes from medicines and consult with and treat patients directly.
Key roles for the PCN clinical pharmacists include:
- supporting and managing the repeat prescription process, conducting proactive searches to convert patients to electronic repeat dispensing to reduce the workload in the practice
- ensuring patients with clinical needs are seen by an appropriate healthcare professional
- conducting structured medication reviews on patients who are housebound, living in care homes and have complex medications
- providing point-of-contact advice to patients about medicines and addressing any concerns
The role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and ensuring patient safety. Having access to clinical pharmacists in GP practices means that GPs can focus their skills where they are most needed, for example on diagnosing and treating patients with more complex conditions. This helps GPs to manage the demands on their time. If you would like to contact the Clinical Pharmacy service please email [email protected]
The following video created by the NHS explains what a Clinical Pharmacist is and how they can help:
The role of First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs) in Primary Care is to assess patients with soft tissue, muscle and joint pain and to decide on the most appropriate management pathway. FCPs are physiotherapists with expertise in the assessment and management of Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. They may also be known as Advanced Practice Physiotherapists (APP) or MSK Practitioners.
By making it easier for patients to access physiotherapist, patients will have quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, helping them to manage their conditions more effectively and recover faster, so they can get back to normal life quickly. They will help GPs to manage their workload more effectively and reduce the need for onward referrals.
What they can see:
- All soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains or sports injuries
- Arthritis – any joint
- Possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons or bone, eg tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains
- Spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain and neck pain
- Spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, eg pins and needles or numbness
- Post-orthopaedic surgery (can differ between localities)
What they can’t see:
- Acutely unwell
- Children under 16
- Medical management of rheumatoid conditions
- Women’s health, antenatal and postnatal problems
- House-bound patients
- Medication reviews for non-MSK conditions
- Neurological and respiratory conditions
- Headaches
- Acute mental health crises
- Patients who do not want to see a FCP
If you would like to contact the First Contact Physiotherapy service please email – [email protected]
The following video created by the NHS explains what a First Contact Physiotherapist is and how they can help:
You can also watch the following video from NHS Kent & Medway where we meet Gary, a first contact physiotherapist:
Health and Wellbeing coaches are trained professionals who use their skills to coach and motivate people. They will help them to identify their own needs and set appropriate goals, before supporting them to develop the knowledge and confidence to meet those goals.
The Medway South Health and Wellbeing coaching team consists of three staff: Ieva, Jenny and Matt. Each member of the team comes from a different background, and they will work across the multiple surgeries within the Medway South Primary Care Network (PCN).
If you would like to contact our Health & Wellbeing coaches please email: [email protected]
Lisa is our mental health practitioner. She will work with patients aged 18 and over to support shared decision-making about self-management; facilitate onward access to treatment services and provide brief psychological interventions, where appropriate.
Social Prescribing provides GPs and Healthcare staff with a non-medical referral option that operates alongside existing treatments to improve a patient’s health and wellbeing.
The Medway South Social Prescribing Team consists of four staff; Tania and Nicola work with Adults aged 25+, and Kezia and Darcie work with children and young people.
We work within multiple GP surgeries across the Medway South Primary Care Network (PCN), focusing on what matters to the patients to ensure that patients are thriving physically, mentally and socially.
If you would like to contact the Social Prescribing service please email – [email protected]
The following video created by the NHS explains what a Social Prescriber is and how they can help:
You can also watch the following video by NHS Kent & Medway where we meet Melanie, a social prescriber who helps people to improve their health and wellbeing by connecting them to activities in the community: