An academic at Northumbria University has been praised by a health and social care watchdog for her work in inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals, as she helps to spearhead new research into the role paramedics are playing in GP practices.
Dr Caroline
Jeffery is a Senior Lecturer in Advanced
Clinical Practice at Northumbria and is also a
managing GP partner with Dr Niamh Telford at Cheveley Park Medical Centre which
provides care and treatment to around 4,350 patients in Durham. The centre is a
teaching practice for trainee medics.
The Care
Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care
services in England, has carried out an inspection at the practice in Belmont,
Durham which rated it outstanding and praised the work of Dr Jeffery with her students.
Dr Jeffery
currently has two trainee Advanced Paramedics on placements at the practice, as
part of an innovative new research project - believed to be the first of its
kind - running in partnership with the University. They are looking at how they
can help alleviate the pressure on GPs and offer a more accessible service to
patients.
She explains:
“The GP workforce is struggling with a national GP shortage whilst at the same
time GPs are seeing patients with far more complex cases. Advanced Paramedics
at our practice are seeing patients independently and we are facilitating that.
They have the skills to go on home visits and can alleviate some of the work
for GPs, offering different perspectives.
“Our research
is around what impact this is having on the workforce and is running alongside
the placement. It is linked to equipping the workforce with roles which are
articulated in NHS planning documents the Five Year Forward View and Ten Year
Plan.”
The research is being led by Senior Lecturer Daniel Monk,
Programme Leader for Urgent and Unplanned Care within the Department
of Nursing, Midwifery and Health. He said interviews would be conducted with GPs and
paramedics as part of the research.
“Paramedics are
playing an increasing role in the prevention and management of acute hospital
admissions in the community, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. Our research
will examine new perspectives on how this will be achieved by Advanced
Paramedics in a primary care setting.
“Having
Paramedics working so closely in GP surgeries is certainly new in the North
East. Paramedics work with GPs in their traditional role however, not as
directly and autonomously as the Advanced Paramedics in our programme. There is
a notable gap in this research area both nationally and internationally and our
research will begin to develop an understanding of how the GP and paramedic
relationship and roles function in the general practice environment.”
Wesley
Scaife, a student on the Advanced Paramedic Master Course at Northumbria, has worked
as a paramedic for 14 years and is currently training to be an advanced
practitioner.
“As part of
my training I am studying at Northumbria University which involves competing a
placement within a GP practice. As a paramedic,
working within a GP practice has helped me to develop my knowledge and skills
within a primary care setting. It gives
me a rounded view of the NHS healthcare system and also enables me to be part
of research which could change the way healthcare is delivered to patients. The
NHS is always changing and evolving and through my studies with Northumbria I
am able to be a part in this. I really enjoy the variety of patients that I
see.”
Meanwhile the CQC
report found that leaders were ‘keen to inspire the next generation of primary
care clinicians’ and cited ‘the enthusiasm and commitment of leaders to offer
such wide-ranging opportunities to medical students’.
Dr Jeffery, a
part time Senior Lecturer at the University who has been working across GP and
academia roles for two years, said: “This is testament to the hard work of the
practice team who are very supportive and recognise the importance of this
inspection.
“Being able to
inspire the next generation of GPs, nurses, and everyone that comes through our
University doors is a real honour and privilege. I had really exceptional
teaching when I was a trainee doctor, which inspired me to enter into the field
myself.”
Joanne Atkinson, Associate Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health,
added: “This is a really
good opportunity to showcase the collaboration we have working with a GP
practice and the commitment we are making to primary care with Caroline as a
Senior Lecturer.”
Both women
co-authored a chapter entitled End of Life Care in Dementia in a book called Namaste Care for
People Living with Advanced Dementia, which is aimed at students and also received
praise in the report.
