New To General Practice Nurse

Overview

General practice nurses work in GP surgeries as part of the primary healthcare team, which might include doctors, pharmacists and dietitians. In larger practices, you might be one of several practice nurses sharing duties and responsibilities. In others, you might be working on your own, taking on many roles. (NHS Careers, 2025)

Scope of Practice

Role Responsibilities:

General Practice Nurses could be involved in most aspects of patient care including:

• Obtaining blood samples
• Electrocardiograms (ECGs)
• Minor and complex wound management including leg ulcers
• Travel health advice and vaccinations
• Child immunisations and advice
• Family planning & women’s health including cervical smears
• Men’s health screening
• Sexual health services
• Smoking cessation
• Screening and helping patients to manage long term conditions

(NHS Health Careers, 2025)

New to General Practice Nurses may also have the following key responsibilities:

• Provide fundamental nurse-led care to communities across the PCN
• Undertake early detection, prevention, and management of cardiovascular disease and other long-term conditions
• Take a lead role in managing one specific long-term condition (“LTC”)  following structured mentorship and preceptorship
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and reduce health inequalities
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team, supporting integrated care and personalised approaches to patient management

(Network Contract DES: Contract Specification 2025/26)

Entry Requirements

• Must be a qualified and registered adult, child, mental health or learning disability nurse to work in general practice.
• Holds an academic Level 6 diploma in long-term conditions related to clinical practice
• Is undertaking the Fundamentals of General Practice Nursing Programme
• Is registered with the NMC and maintains revalidation in line with NMC requirements
• Is working at Registered Nurse Level Practice as described in the Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework.

(Network Contract DES: Contract Specification 2025/26)

Training and development

Supervision requirements

Supervision is a process of professional learning and development that enables individuals to reflect on and develop their knowledge, skills and competence, through regular support from another professional.

Supervision can have different forms and functions and a number of terms are used to describe these. For this guidance we use the below terms and define them as follows:

• Clinic/practice supervision: day-to-day support provided by a named/duty senior/more experienced clinician for issues arising in the practice.
• Clinical/professional supervision: regular support from a named senior/experienced clinician/practitioner to promote high clinical standards and develop professional expertise.
• Educational supervision: supports learning and enables learners to achieve proficiency.

Supervision Guidance for primary care network multidisciplinary teams (NHSE, 2023)

Funding

AFC Band 5

100% of actual salary plus defined on costs covered via ARRS Scheme

Recruitment Information

Where a PCN employs or engages a New to General Practice Nurse under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, the PCN must ensure that the enhanced practice nurse meets the ‘Minimum Role Requirements’ stipulated in Annex B of the Network DES.

Please find various resources in this section to assist in the recruitment and embedding of the New to General Practice Nurse role in General Practice.

NHSE Example Induction Checklist

General Practice Nursing Induction Template (NHSE)

Additional resources