Our Team

A GP partner is a self-employed general practitioner who, alongside other GPs, and sometimes also nurses or other healthcare staff, is responsible for running their own practice. Besides providing services and managing patients, which consists of the clinical responsibility for all of the patients within the practice, and the responsibility of managing all the patients that present on a particular day, GP partners also manage the practice staff, the finances and the administrative work associated with running the practice. Unlike salaried GPs or GP locums, GP partners are not only healthcare professionals but also business owners. They therefore have more responsibilities, but also a lot more control over their work.

Practice managers are vital to the successful running of GP surgeries. They manage the business aspect of the surgery, making sure that patients are at the centre of the surgery's operations. They are involved in a wide range of activities, including • business planning • handling financial systems for the practice, including payroll • selecting, training and supervising non-clinical staff • developing and supervising appointment systems that work well for patients and clinicians • ensuring accurate records are kept, and liaising with local health organisations such as integrated commissioning boards • developing strategies for the practice on issues such as computer systems and security, expanding or changing services, and long-term services The role usually combines • personnel administration • payroll • finance • strategic planning • IT skills.

Although your General Practitioner (GP) doesn’t need to be your first point of contact if you're feeling unwell, everyone should be registered with a GP. Your GP can give you medical advice, treatment and prescribe medication. They can also refer you to other healthcare professionals to diagnose or treat specific aspects of your condition. For example, they may refer you to a chiropodist, for a hearing test, or to your local falls prevention service. These other health professionals may visit you at home or hold clinics at a local practice, health centre or hospital. If you have a long-term condition, your GP should help you understand and manage your own care. This may include drawing up a care plan to help you manage your condition on a day-to-day basis and recognise symptoms that you should report to your GP.

ANPs are educated at masters level in advanced practice and are assessed as competent in practice, using expert knowledge and skills. There is very little that ANPs are not allowed to do according to the law. They can assess a patient, make a diagnosis and provide treatment, just like a doctor. However they do this within a clearly defined scope of practice that is agreed with their employer, and the level of medical complexity that they deal with is usually less than that of a doctor. ANPs in primary care and the community are able to develop close, long-term relationships with their patients and work in partnership with them to help them achieve their optimum level of health. Examples of these skills and competencies include, but are not limited to, the ability to undertake a comprehensive and sophisticated physical and/or mental health assessment of patients with complex multiple healthcare needs and/or in crisis, interpret the results of multiple different assessments and investigations in order to make a diagnosis, and plan and deliver care, confidently and competently make ethical, evidence based decisions and interventions when faced with complexity and assess and manage the risk associated with these decisions., prescribe and work with individuals to manage their medicines, work independently but also as part of a multi-disciplinary team and exercise values based leadership, plan and provide skilled and competent care to meet a patient’s health and social care needs involving or referring on to other members of the healthcare team as appropriate.

Nurses can help by: • providing vaccinations and injections • supporting you with long-term conditions • providing family planning and sexual health advice

Healthcare Assistants can help by: • monitoring your blood pressure and taking blood samples • providing healthy living advice, such as stopping smoking and weight loss • tending to dressings and stitch removal

Clinical Pharmacists can help by: • reviewing your medicines • agreeing and making changes to your prescriptions • advising about medicines and possible side effects

Mental Health Practitioners can help by: • carrying out assessments • providing advice and support to manage your condition • supporting you to access mental health services and community resources

We have Physiotherapists in our PracticeTeam. They can help by: • diagnosing and treating muscular and joint conditions • advising on how to manage your condition • referring you on to specialist services

Our reception staff are part of the Cranbrook Medical Practice Team. They can help by: • getting you an appointment with the right clinician as quickly as possible • identifying services you can access with a GP referral • making appointments for new kinds of care or services