GP services for older people: a guide for care home managers
SCIE Guide 52
Published: December 2013
The health and wellbeing of older people in care homes depends on them accessing GP services in a timely way. Effective joint working between GP and care home management, the involvement of residents and their relatives and the engagement of care staff are factors that can affect the outcome and lead to quality improvements.
This guide is primarily written for managers and senior staff of care homes but it has also been written with GPs in mind, as well as members of clinical commissioning groups and joint health and wellbeing boards.
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Foreword
Foreword by The Secretary of State for Health.
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Recommendations
Recommendations from this guide.
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Introduction
Why it’s important for older people in care homes to access GP services in a timely way.
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Residents’ entitlements and requirements
People should be involved as fully as they wish in discussions about their health care and treatment.
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Managers’ responsibilities
Care home managers should establish ways of listening to and regularly checking the views and experience of residents
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GPs’ role in relation to the resident
A GP’s primary relationship is with the resident rather than the care home.
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Workforce development, standards and regulation
Staff need the confidence, knowledge and communication skills to initiate and handle relationships with GPs.
Downloads
All SCIE resources are free to download, however to access the following downloads you will need a free MySCIE account:
Available downloads:
- Evidence review on partnership working between GPs, care home residents and care homes
- GP services for older people: a guide for care home managers
- Improving access to and experience of GP services for older people living in care homes: practice survey
