NHS Alliance announces today the launch of a new nurse-led General Practice Nurse (GPN) network. The network is designed to promote and strengthen the role of nurses in primary care. It will also enable nurses working in primary care to connect with each other, and with wider primary and community colleagues, as well as patients’ carers and residents.
The network is the initiative of the co-vice chair of NHS Alliance, Heather Henry, a Queen’s Nurse and former GPN, and Louise Brady, the newly appointed GPN special adviser at NHS Alliance. Louise is a GPN at Donneybrook Medical Centre in Hyde and is also the GPN Clinical & Strategic Development Lead for the three NHS Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Leading the network, Heather and Louise will bring GPNs together virtually, and in physical meetings. The members and discussion topics will be decided upon by the network members themselves.
The NHS Alliance is intending for the network to be synergistic with what other nursing organisations are doing and to feed in opinion and ideas into NHS England, Public Health England, Health Education England, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Care Quality Commission and the Queen’s Nursing Institute.
Heather Henry, co-vice chair of NHS Alliance, said: “From ongoing Twitter discussions and recent meetings we observe an overwhelming yearning for an active GPN network in England to bring us all together.
“Launching this GPN network is an integral part of NHS Alliance’s ongoing work in supporting the new models of care, as outlined in the Five Year Forward View. This network will be asset-based; drawing out GPNs’ strengths, skills and talents, rather than be a deficit or problem-focused type of network. It will showcase the very best of practice nursing and bring the importance of what we do to the fore. But, most importantly, we want to build personal relationships and ensure that all GPNs have the support they need to enjoy their work.”
Louise Brady, GPN special adviser at NHS Alliance, said: “We know the time for a new GPN network is now. We must work to keep a high profile on practice nursing given the Five Year Forward View (5YFV), and to influence how the recommendations of the Lord Willis’ report on pre-registration education are taken forward, to discuss how revalidation will affect us – and much more.”
The membership will focus on moving primary care nursing forward – innovating and stretching across boundaries. Membership will be open to related disciplines, patients, carers and residents.
Those interested in joining a nurse-led network are invited to email gpn@thehealthcreationalliance.org with:
- name
- role
- employer
- contact number
- Twitter handle (if you have one)
Potential members are also asked to complete a brief survey to tell the NHS Alliance their thoughts on how they would like the network setting up.
Notes to editors
In photo (left to right) – Heather Henry RN QN MBA Co-vice chair NHS Alliance, Louise Brady General Practice Nurse, Zoe Starmer Advanced Nurse Practitioner & Louise Kay Practice Nurse Champion
NHS Alliance
- NHS Alliance is an independent, not-for-profit, leadership organisation representing progressive providers of care outside hospital. Neither professional body nor trade union, it is an entirely solutions focused organisation, unique in its approach bringing together more than 10,000 passionate individuals and organisations across primary care who believe innovation, connections and integration are key to the sustainability of a health service that remains free to all at the point of need.
- It represents primary care in its entirety from general practice, community eye, hearing and foot care, community pharmacy, dentistry and physiotherapy to out of hours and emergency services as well as determinants of health outcomes like housing organisations or those with an interest in maintaining good health such as local authorities and health and wellbeing boards.
- A recognised and highly regarded engine for change, it provides a robust and influential voice for its members, and is consistently instrumental in helping shape health agendas and policy. An early exponent of clinical commissioning, it now works closely with providers and communities to identify and share the kinds of solutions we need to sustain the NHS in times of unparalleled austerity. It also provides practical support to help drive the innovation it advocates.
For further information please contact Stewart Laing, stewart.laing@salixandco.com / 07725 555030
Twitter @NHSAlliance @LouiseBrady17 @heatherhenry4