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When to see a nurse instead of the GP
What is a practice nurse? Nurses play an important role in providing care in general practice. General practice nurses are nurses that work in GP...
Here, people talk about the following topics:
what can a GP help with?
physical health problems
mental and emotional health problems
raising awareness of the GP’s role
What can a GP help with?
GPs deal with a broad range of physical, mental and emotional problems. As well as finding out what’s causing a person’s symptoms and treating them, they provide health education, offer advice on smoking, diet, sexual health and contraception, give vaccinations (injections), and may carry out simple surgery. In some cases the GP may need to refer (pass on) the patient to a hospital or another healthcare service (for example, physiotherapy, podiatry or counselling) for tests, treatment, or to see someone with specialist knowledge. GPs usually work in practices (surgeries or health centres) as part of a team, which includes nurses, healthcare assistants, practice managers, receptionists and other staff. Practices also work closely with other health professionals, such as midwives, health visitors, mental health services and social care services.
Physical health problems
Young people went to see the GP for all sorts of reasons. The doctor was often the first person they saw if they had a health problem that they were worried about. Examples of minor health problems include ear, eye or chest infections, rashes and other skin conditions, periods, and ongoing pain. Simon, Emma, Caitlin and Jalé were living with long-term health problems so saw the doctor whenever they were worried about these. Long-term health problems include asthma, diabetes and arthritis. Other people went to the GP surgery about sexual health, whether that was for contraception, cervical screening or STI tests (tests for sexually transmitted infections).
Lara and Paula thought that GPs only helped with physical problems, and Kyle and Simon said they were more likely to speak to friends than the GP about emotional issues.
It was only when Vinay went to university to study psychology that he learnt that patients could speak to the GP about mental as well as physical health. But he felt that GPs were perhaps not the best professionals to talk to. He would prefer talking to a counsellor and did eventually speak to the mental health advisor at university:
Raising awareness of the GP’s role
Like many young people, Ambeya felt that there should be more information about GPs being able to help with mental health problems, and that this should be made available in schools. Nikki also felt that mental health education should be taught in schools and included in the National Curriculum. When she needed help at a young age, she had ‘no idea’ she could speak to the GP. When she did finally go to the doctors’, she felt that the first few GPs she saw were unhelpful but she later found one that she liked.
When asked about the issues that most young people are concerned about, Paula said ‘anxiety and stress and dealing with school and friendships’. Tagbo mentioned sex, drugs and alcohol as major concerns and Louis talked about exam stress, depression, and drug abuse. Ongoing anxiety caused by bullying was another worry that Nikki and Auberon felt people rarely discussed with the GP.
What is a practice nurse? Nurses play an important role in providing care in general practice. General practice nurses are nurses that work in GP...
Here, people talk about: when to see the GP about minor health issues young people's experiences of minor short-term problems When to see the GP...