Behind the scenes of a general practice

Come and meet the team.

Did you know that, in addition to your GP, there are other health professionals in general practice who can help you get the right care?

General Practice teams are made up of a whole range of professionals, such as nurses, paramedics and clinical pharmacists. But a new survey has found that many people don’t realise that many roles, like mental health practitioners (66%), physiotherapists (71%) and social prescribers (89%), could be available at general practice.

To help explain the support available, the NHS has released a film that sees three curious children go behind the scenes at a general practice to meet the health professionals working there and learn more about how they help get patients the care they need.

In the film, the children are greeted by a member of the reception team, who takes them to meet members of the general practice, including a paramedic, mental health practitioner, social prescriber and physiotherapist. The film illustrates the real-life process patients go through when they contact their local general practice, from the reception team using the information patients provide to getting directed to the right health professional for the care they need.

See the behind the scenes at a general practice video on YouTube.

If you need to see a GP you will always be offered an appointment, but there may be other health professionals available who can provide the most appropriate support. Having a range of health professionals at your general practice means you can receive the right care for your condition as quickly as possible.

Your general practice team is here to help you. Visit nhs.uk/GPservices to find out more.