Care Navigation

Ringing the GP practice for an appointment can sometimes seem like a ‘lottery’. There’s a lot happening right now to make sure that when people need to see a GP, they have access to one quickly and in a way that suits them, be that in person or over the phone.

Sometimes though, the GP isn’t really the best person to see. Patients could be seen and treated quicker by a nurse or a physiotherapist for example and in some cases, the GP practice might not be the right place at all for the query. That's where 'active signposting' or care navigation as we call it comes in.

Care navigators are receptionists and admin staff but through specialist training, they also possess additional skills and provide a crucial practise role in improving access to primary care. All with the aim of helping patients to get to the right service faster.