What is Care Navigation?
When you feel ill and you ring your GP practice, you want to see someone as soon as possible to help make you feel better.
Sometimes, the GP (doctor) might not be best person to see. It could be the GP practice pharmacist, the physiotherapist, a mental health worker or a practice nurse. In some cases, your GP practice might not be the best place at all and it could be a community pharmacy or optician that is more appropriate.
For this reason, our receptionists (also known as care navigators) have been trained to help make sure you see the right person depending on your medical problem. They may ask you some very brief questions about your symptoms but will not try to diagnose you or offer medical advice.
You can help by providing some information so they can offer you an appointment as quickly as possible with the right person in your GP practice. This may be with your GP or another member of the practice team.
Physiotherapists
Diagnose, assess & treat problems with muscles, bones & joints through supported exercising & stretching.
GP practice pharmacists – Provide information & advice about the safe & effective use of medications as well as monitoring progress.
Social Prescribers
How they can help:
- Financial (debt, cost of living, benefits)
- Housing (private renting, council, antisocial behaviour, homeless)
- Work (finding work/issues with work)
- Mental health- anxiety, depression, low motivation, struggling day-to-day
- Isolation
- Carers strain
- Domestic Violence
- Adult Social Care/social services, pendant alarm
- Bereavement
- Lifestyle (exercise/physical health condition/adjusting to conditions)
- Immigration
- Form Filling
- Mental health workers – how they can help
- Low mood/depression
- Anxiety
Healthy Minds is a virtual service offering mental health and wellbeing consultations.
They contact patients who are struggling with low level mental health difficulties.
Healthy Minds practitioners have experience within the mental health sector.
Care Coordinators
Provide support for patients with complex needs & help you learn how to manage your own health.