GP Care Advisors
About Us
What do we do?
The role of the GPCA is to facilitate people to access social care, welfare benefits and self-help support to help them maintain their independence at home.
Care Advisors are there to help you. Among their key roles are:
To listen to patients, carers and their families.
To provide advice, support, information and assistance in obtaining services from other agencies and where appropriate, make initial contact on the patients behalf.
Provide assistance in particular to carers of patients with dementia.
To help with the completion of welfare benefit claims forms.
To provide assessment of needs for Telecare equipment and services in the patients home.
Watch our introductory video below:
History of GP Care Advisors
GP Primary Choice Ltd were approved a business case in 2014 by North East Essex PCT to fund the employment of four full-time equivalent GP Care Advisors (GPCAs). GPCAs existed prior to 2014 in North East Essex, though the business case acted as a vehicle for expanding the service under new direction with GPPC.
The service has continued to grow both in popularity and demand due to the holistic support offered to the increasing population of North East Essex. The team now consist of 17 care advisors, covering all 32 surgeries in North East Essex.
Today
NHS England have commissioned a national strategy for Social Prescribing in a bid to bridge the gap between primary care and voluntary services, with a proactive workforce working within GP surgeries, the role of the GP Care Advisor has thrived amongst this new direction from NHSE.
North East Essex is unique in that it has the nationally commissioned Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) which are employed under Community360 in Colchester, and CVS Tendring, and also GP Care Advisors employed by GPPC. Both SPLWs and GPCAs work together to achieve the best outcomes for the patient, specifically, a SPLW may refer to the GPCA service if a patient under their provision has identified needs within the likes of welfare benefits advice and assessment, equipment, telecare, memory assessments, carers support, and much more.
To understand the different roles within North East Essex, please click to find out more:
