This is a new role and many are still in trainee phase within Primary Care in the Wessex region.  Knowledge, skills and attributes taught within the education programme include cancer specific skills such as cervical cytology and promotion of preventative behaviours through healthy checks.  Role requirements stated in the GP Network Contract DES align with promotion of personalised care planning, supporting self-management and early diagnosis in the cancer population.

A Nursing Associate can support the following:

Prevention

• Making every contact count
• Healthy Checks and Lifestyle advice
• Signposting

Screening

• Cervical Cytology
• Contacting Non-responders
• Tackling Health inequalities

Early Diagnosis

• Skin cancer – potential for innovation: assist in PCN teledermatology clinic

Personalised Care

• 3-month Cancer care review preparation – Holistic Needs Assessment
• Supporting PCN nurses in the management of cancer patients which could include:

Other Skills

• Wound Care
• Palliative care
• Clinical observations

Increasing the workforce that can deliver health checks, cervical cytology and education to improve screening rates enables faster access to GP services for patients.  By removing some responsibilities from the Nursing teams also aids them in their role to see more urgent and complex cases making better use of their skills.

We can offer training and education to help you support and provide personalised care to cancer patients. There are also options for you to learn more about cancer and access supportive literature for your documents (Appendix 6).

We currently provide wider workforce webinars to help share knowledge and provide cancer specific training, some of which may be helpful to you.

There may also be opportunity to join a Wessex Cancer Alliance wider workforce community of practice in the future if there is interest. Please contact us if you would like to register your interest.

Wessex Cancer Alliance provides a Primary Care Newsletter which provides up to date information and education offers. Please contact us if you would like to subscribe.

Macmillan also 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

We welcome ideas on further training needs or innovation. Please do contact us to discuss further.

Please see here how nursing Associates can also help deliver the GP Contract DES and other primary care responsibilities (Appendix 9).

For more general advice and support on how Nursing Associates can be employed and utilised in Primary Care please access the following:

•  ‘Digital Guide to Registered Nursing Associate Role in General Practice’ (insert link here currently being updated).
• Wessex LMC: (currently being updated)
• Nursing Associate – Dorset Primary Care Training Hub

Wessex Cancer Alliance provides a Primary Care Newsletter which provides up to date information and education offers. Please contact us if you would like to subscribe.