Resources

Increasing cancer survival rates and evolving models of care require primary care teams to adapt their practice to meet the needs of people after a cancer diagnosis and completion of treatment. The needs of people after a cancer diagnosis are often complex and require a person-centred, holistic model of care. The ‘NHS Long Term Plan’ sets out the ethos of
personalised care for those living with long-term conditions (LTCs), including cancer. Interventions to support personalised care include cancer care reviews (CCR) in primary care. Recent Quality Outcome Framework guidance for CCR has aimed to personalise the intervention to improve patient experience. General practice nurses (GPNs) are well placed to deliver CCR but need access to education to feel confident and develop competence in this area. There are several resources that have been developed to support CCR as a personalised care intervention. These interventions need further evaluation to assess their impact on patient experience and outcomes.

The national care bundle for children with asthma is the first phase of a national plan to improve asthma care, focusing on integration of systems and effective communication. It follows several high-profile reports, national and global guidelines, with the aim of training clinicians to consistent standards, keeping children and young people (CYP) with asthma well, improving diagnosis, patient pathways and encouraging self-management. This article, the second in a two-part series, explores practical ways to implement the bundle in clinical practice and how to meet its requirements.

Here, Callum Metcalfe-O’Shea, advanced nurse practitioner diabetes specialist and co-chair for the Practice Nurse Diabetes Forum for Norfolk, provides the first in a series of articles with direct insight into the changing practice of diabetes in primary care and how general practice nurses (GPNs) can keep up to date with new evidence. This article looks at new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for type 2 diabetes, identifying how the implementation of sodiumglucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) as second-line therapy now takes place and how you can use these guidelines to advance practice. Consideration will be given to SGLT-2i use in practice, while recognising the importance of patient preference and individualised care at all stages.

I had a eureka moment reading the ‘Practice matters’ piece, ‘What do GPNs need to know about GDPR’ and a sensation of various burdens lifting off my shoulders. Now I had found a reason to have a different approach to writing up my consultations and this would be better for patients

As a general practice nurse (GPN), how much information should you know about a patient? You might say it’s important to know the condition they have and their medical history. It might be reasonable to enquire if they are on any medication, or even ask for some details
about their lifestyle, such as their smoking habits or alcohol consumption, or how many sugars they take in their tea.

Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is a treatment, often referred to as non-invasive ventilation (NIV), which provides breathing support for patients with respiratory insufficiency outside of the traditional hospital setting. This type of treatment was first used to treat those affected during the Polio pandemic in the mid-20th century, and has been used in the community setting since the 1980s.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Across the UK over 47,500 men are diagnosed each year with a 10-year survivorship of approximately 80% (Prostate Cancer
UK, 2022). It is estimated that more than 400,000 men in the UK are living with and beyond prostate cancer (Prostate Cancer UK, 2022).

A correct diagnosis means a healthier patient, fewer repeat appointments and reduced antibiotic prescribing. As an advanced nurse practitioner, the author found that whether she prescribed antibiotics or not, too many patients were coming back a week later with ongoing symptoms of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The fall in repeat appointments during a pilot project for C-reactive protein (CRP) testing which the author observed showed that point of care technology is key to an accurate diagnosis.

Professional networking is a valuable tool to build advantageous professional support systems of people who will advise, encourage and enhance healthcare practice (Donelan, 2014). Networking benefits include increased engagement and insight
into healthcare policy and subsequent changes and trends in the professions, along with better opportunities for career advancement (Meiring, 2018).

Here, Carole Young, professional nurse advocate, independent tissue viability nurse consultant and associate lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University, reflects on the impact of the pandemic on specialist nurses in the last two years and considers what is needed next in terms of support and recovery of self and service. The role of compassionate
leadership and professional nurse advocacy (PNA) will be discussed to share an understanding of how restorative clinical supervision (RCS) can be used to support emotional recovery and plan for future development. Models including A-EQUIP and the GROW coaching model used by PNAs to guide RCS will be explained as tools which can
support personal reflection and recovery through personal actions for quality improvement