With the expansion of the general practice workforce, Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown argues for the need improve the clarity of healthcare roles in patient records
The GP workforce has grown significantly in recent years. According to NHS Digital data from December, there were 48,948 GPs and GP registrars, 23,105 nurses, 23,329 direct patient care staff, and 103,627 admin/non-clinical staff working in GP practices across England. A substantial number of these professionals now input information into patient records. In addition to practice staff, an increasing number of community-based professionals also contribute to consultations within the GP patient records.
However, current GP computer systems are not consistently capturing the roles of these various healthcare professionals in patient records. Anecdotal evidence shows that many practices still lack the necessary systems to track who is involved in patient care and their specific roles. This gap in recording can lead to confusion and, more importantly, potential safety concerns due to the uncertainty about the clinical qualifications and background of these staff members.
The issue of role clarity extends beyond GP practices. It also affects hospital records and the NHS app, where patients often cannot distinguish which professional has contributed to their record, aside from a name, with no indication of their role in the care provided.
The GMC’s Good Medical Practice underlines the importance of clarity: ‘You must always be honest about your experience, qualifications, and current role. You should introduce yourself to patients and explain your role in their care.’ This call for transparency is echoed by other professional bodies and patient organisations, such as the Royal College of General Practitioners and National Voices, all highlighting the necessity of clear professional identification.
As remote care continues to expand, the need for role clarity becomes even more crucial, especially in virtual consultations and through the NHS app, which has been actively promoted by policymakers. Lack of transparency not only erodes patient trust but also hinders effective care coordination. To ensure that patients fully understand who is involved in their care, and that multidisciplinary teams can communicate seamlessly, clear identification of roles is essential.
To address this challenge, it is crucial to standardise and automate the recording of professional roles. Relying on administrative processes from already overstretched GP teams is neither efficient nor sustainable. By automating this process, practices can reduce their administrative burden while ensuring accuracy and consistency in patient records. As primary care continues to evolve, addressing this issue must be a priority for policy makers to support better patient care and improve the efficiency of healthcare systems.
Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown is a GP in Tower Hamlets and an academic at Queen Mary University of London, among other roles
Totally agree Victoria