Person-centred care Resources

Group clinics were one of 10 high impact actions for primary care in 2016. In randomised controlled studies, they improve self-management of type two diabetes and demonstrate positive impacts on: key biometrics, knowledge of diabetes, quality of life, patient-initiated behaviour changes and empowerment. These changes sustain in those from low-income underserved communities. They also improve adherence with quality and outcomes framework standards, reduce A&E visits among vulnerable people with diabetes, and build trust between clinicians and patients. There is evidence that group clinics improve access, reduce waiting times and free up clinician time. They are especially well suited to general practice nursing’s caseload. Introducing group clinics upskills nurses and the whole primary care team, and return joy and autonomy to nursing through deeper connections with patients and by providing the opportunity for nurses to reimagine and revitalise repetitive chronic disease reviews. This is highly motivating and supports retention. Their time has come.

The current Covid-19 pandemic has thrown countries and societies into a crisis management situation, resulting in lockdowns and unprecedented high demand on health and public services. Here, Teresa Burdett, senior lecturer in integrated health care, unit lead for foundations of integrated care and person-centred services and unit lead for foundations of general practice nursing and Lee-Ann Fenge, professor of social care, both at Bournemouth University, look at integrated health and social care provision to improve existing care delivery methods and promote person-centred care.

Wounds impact a patient’s quality of life, but research shows that this is often overlooked. Lifestyle concerns are haphazardly disclosed by patients, and not always recorded and addressed by nurses. Research (Green et al, 2013a; 2013b) led to the development of a leg ulcer consultation template (LUCT), which, in turn, raised the need for a generic tool to produce an overall, self-assessed ‘quality of life’ score for any patient with a wound. The principles of the LUCT were reviewed and a new ‘wound checklist’ developed, supported by an advocacy service, to ensure utility for all patient groups. Images, simplified questions and use of a ‘pain’ and ‘quality of life’ score improved the checklist’s accessibility, and aimed to show which areas of the patient’s life were affected by the wound. Results of an evaluation have been positive, and the new checklist is available as a paper version and is being developed as a digital resource.

This article provides general practice nurses (GPNs) with a brief history of asset-based community development (ABCD). It considers how the principles of asset-based approaches are currently used and may be further developed to tackle modern challenges in health and social care. It considers one particular approach, ‘social prescribing’ — this is perhaps best known to GPNs. Social prescribing has emerged as an early asset-based solution to improve wellbeing. The article also explores some of the advantages and limitations of social prescribing and gives glimpses as to how asset-based nursing may evolve.