As part of the wider team in general practice, General Practice Assistants (GPA) provide a support role carrying out administrative tasks combined in some areas with basic clinical duties. They can help to free up GPs’ time and contribute to the smooth running of appointments and improving patient experience in the surgery.

The GP assistant role (sometimes known as medical assistant) was initially developed in the United States to safely deliver a combination of routine administrative tasks and some basic clinical duties in the general practice setting, with a focus on supporting GPs in their day-to-day management of patients.

The role is specifically aimed at reducing the administrative burden, making best use of consultation time, and supporting those particularly vulnerable to isolation who are regular attenders at the practice.

GPAs have a wide skill set that could be utilised for preparing and supporting cancer patients at all points in the pathway.

A GPA can support the following:

Prevention:

• Identify at risk populations through QoF Register: including obesity and smoking.
• Lead on advertising preventative advice within surgeries, social media and websites
• Signpost to services

Screening:

• Identify low screening rates, non-responders, low participation groups
• Make contact to provide information and support to encourage uptake

Safety Netting:

• Arranging follow-up GP appointments, providing information and leaflets to patients
• Follow up patient groups that may not attend appointments
• Monitor completion of FiT

Early Diagnosis

• Assist with completion of fast track urgent suspected cancer referrals
• Assist with urgent referrals by liaising with outside agencies, e.g. phoning an on-call doctor to ask advice or arrange admission so the GP can continue with their consultations
• Skin cancer – teledermatology clinic: can be trained to use a dermatoscope and upload for review by GP/clinician

Personalised Care

• Prepare patients for cancer care reviews by administering holistic needs assessments
• Coordinate care for anyone diagnosed with cancer in the practice, signposting to internal and external services at any point in the pathway
• Support GPs and clinicians on home visits to cancer patients
• Assisting with completing basic forms for the GP to approve, e.g. insurance forms, benefits etc.
• Review end-of-treatment summaries and highlight actions to be completed by GP

GPA skills that can be utilised for cancer patients:

• Phlebotomy, ECG, dipstick urine
• Observations and basic history
• Supporting with wound care

Potentially this role can achieve elements of the cancer care coordinator, social prescriber and health care assistant role requirements. Therefore, there are opportunities to help with coordination of care, greater efficiency within the system, and reducing waiting times for patients.

They can also provide education and advice to help patients make decisions, reduce fears and offer support. This role can also link patients to other members of the MDT that may be of assistance earlier in the pathway.

We can offer training and education to help you support and provide personalised care to cancer patients. There is evidence that some GPAs are involved in supporting screening and early diagnosis requirements of the Network Contract DES. In this case there are many resources and education available in the cancer care coordinator induction pack. There are also options for you to learn more about cancer and access supportive literature for your patients.

If your PCN would like to look at innovative ways that your role can be utilised in the cancer pathway, including supporting 3-month cancer care reviews, there are documents and training to support this

We currently provide wider workforce webinars to help share knowledge and provide cancer specific training: Cancer and the wider workforce webinar series

Macmillan Cancer Support provide a Primary Care Update which includes latest developments, learning and case studies relating to cancer across primary care. To sign up please access the following link: Sign up for Primary Care Update – Macmillan Cancer Support

Wessex Cancer Alliance provides a Primary Care Newsletter which provides up-to-date information and education offers. Please contact wessexcanceralliance@wca.uhs.nhs.uk if you would like to subscribe.

We welcome ideas on further training needs or innovation. There may also be opportunity to join a Wessex Cancer Alliance wider workforce community of practice in the future if there is interest. Please do contact us to discuss further – wessexcanceralliance@wca.uhs.nhs.uk

This is a role that is unlikely to be employed for cancer patients alone, but would be of great benefit to this population. As this is a new ARRS addition, WCA are happy to be contacted to discuss the potential of this role dependent on your patient population.

For more information on how a GPA can be utilised and how they deliver the requirements of the Network contract DES and other Primary Care drivers please access here. There are some supportive and assistive roles in the Wessex region that have been trained to support completion of the 3-month Cancer Care Reviews. Please see the Wessex Cancer Alliance position statement. WCA are happy to support further training in this if you would like to proceed – please contact wessexcanceralliance@wca.uhs.nhs.uk

Wessex Cancer Alliance provides a Primary Care Newsletter which provides up to date information and education offers. Please contact wessexcanceralliance@wca.uhs.nhs.uk if you would like to subscribe.