Each practice has a small team of care co-ordinators who work alongside the GPs to help patients get the right help at the right time. This is a new and developing role and some care co-ordinators may work with specific groups of patients, such as carers or those with particular long-term medical conditions. They may also help co-ordinate the weekly reviews for care home residents.
Our care co-ordinators are trained to support the needs of patients to get the right help, at the right time, personalised to their needs. They are developing links with our social prescribing link workers and other community and primary care services, such as those offered by community pharmacies. Pharmacy First is an example of a new service that enables patients to contact their local pharmacist for help with more minor conditions, rather than their GP surgery. The care co-ordinators may refer you to this service, if appropriate.