A paramedic in primary care can recognise and manage the deteriorating patient and can manage patients with long term conditions, minor injuries, and minor illness. They can also support patients who require wound care, have fallen, have MSK problems, and have urinary tract or respiratory infections. Paramedics can supply a range of medicines through PGDs, including antibiotics and analgesics.
Paramedics can support PCNs in responding to on the day demand by offering Hear and Treat telephone triage or undertaking home visiting. They can also support PCNs to improve access to care by seeing minor ailments and injuries in surgery. Paramedics can support PCNs with the delivery of Enhanced Health in Care Homes and overall their intervention should reduce the need for admission to hospital.
This is an FCP role that will be triaging, assessing and diagnosing therefore is a role that has exposure to undiagnosed and diagnosed cancer patients. This role will benefit from education and support to improve their knowledge and skills around the signs and symptoms, safety netting, decision support tools, advanced communication skills and acute oncological presentations. In some PCNs Paramedics are involved in Enhanced Health Care in Care Homes. At least 10% of care home residents will have cancer. They will be involved in the personalised care planning and advanced care planning for this population as well as the management of their health. As acute practitioners they are often involved in admission avoidance home visits and they may be exposed to acute oncological presentations and undiagnosed symptoms of cancer. Community Paramedics are also becoming specialists in palliative care which is an area of responsibility which may grow in Primary Care.
A paramedic can support the following:
Prevention
- Making every contact count
- Healthy Lifestyle Advice
- Signposting to services
Screening
- Promote screening in patients if not attended when opportunities arise
Early Diagnosis
- Knowledge of signs and symptoms of cancer and recurrence
- Safety Netting
- Clinical Decision Support Tools
- 2 week wait Referrals and investigations
Enhanced Healthcare in Care Homes
- Management of care home residents with cancer or suspected cancer
- Support to care home staff including education, treatment and escalation plans
- Admission avoidance
- Widen skillset to all palliative patients
Upskilling the Paramedic role will increase likelihood of early diagnosis and improve standards of care for cancer patients. This is a role that can actively support patients to stay at home and link them into the wider multi-disciplinary team internally and externally which is often very important to patients. As a first contact practitioner patients want to know they can trust the knowledge and skills of this workforce and education and support tools will aid this.
We can offer training and education to help you support and provide personalised care to cancer patients, improve early diagnosis and provide safety netting. Please see our resource package for more details (Appendix 7).
We also have a Wessex Cancer Alliance Allied Health Professional Forum which brings together AHPs working in Cancer to share knowledge and support each other. Please contact us if you would like to join.
We welcome ideas on further training needs or innovation. Please do contact us to discuss further.
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 have provided some insight on how you could utilise a Paramedic and how this will help deliver the GP Contract DES and other primary care responsibilities (Appendix 9). The Paramedic role is evolving within Primary Care and there is potential for upskilling and using transferable skills to help support early diagnosis and management of cancer patients as part of their role.
You may find it helpful to review the Wessex Cancer Alliance Primary Care Toolkit, in particular the topics of safety netting and referral guidance as these are provided to support any first contact practitioner including nurses in their contacts with potential cancer patients.
If you would like more general information about the Paramedic role and supportive documents, please access:
- Wessex LMCs: PCN Workforce – ARRS
- Paramedics – Dorset Primary Care Training Hub (primarycaredorset.co.uk)
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.
