ANPs enhance practice efficiency

Over the past few years, the role of the GP has expanded, with increasing demands for managing patients with one or more long-term conditions. With this in mind, the RCGP has recommended that longer or more flexible consultations will be required. In order to achieve this, GP practices will be required to develop more flexible appointment systems to meet the needs of their patient population. The RCGP reported that one in four Scots could not get an appointment with their GP within a week.1 It suggested that long waiting times for appointments, short consultations and weakening relationships between doctors and patients were contributing to a 'crisis in general practice'.1