MEET YOUR LOCAL HEALTH TEAM
Meet your local health team
Your local health team offers lots of different services and is made up of many skilled professionals, including GPs, pharmacists, care coordinators and more. Find out how these services and professionals can help support your physical and mental health.
Your GP practice
Your GP practice provides lots of services, including helping people with long-term health conditions such as diabetes or asthma and those with multiple conditions. They can help with physical or mental health concerns and refer you for tests and treatment where needed to hospital or community clinics.
If you take medicine regularly, you’ll usually have a repeat prescription. You can ask your GP practice how to order a repeat prescription, or you can order repeat prescriptions on the NHS App yourself at your convenience. Make sure you order repeat prescriptions in good time so that you don’t run out of your medicine, particularly over bank holidays.
Being registered with a GP will help you get the right care when you need it. Anyone in England can register and receive care. You do not need proof of address or immigration status, ID, or an NHS number. For more information contact your local GP practice or find out more about GPs. You can also watch this short film to find out how your general practice can help you.
GP practices are made up of many skilled care professionals including the roles outlined below.
Receptionists
GP receptionists are being trained as Care Navigators.
Their job is to ask you the right questions, so that you get an appointment with the right team member, as quickly as possible.
Any information that you give to a Care Navigator is always treated confidentially. They will work with you to understand your clinical needs, appointment preferences, and make sure you can access the care you need.
Nurses
Nurses provide vaccinations and injections, care for wounds, carry out cervical smears, support with long-term conditions, and offer family planning and sexual health advice.
They also assess symptoms and treat minor health problems, infections, and minor injuries.
Health care assistants
Health care assistants are trained to assist with monitoring and recording patients’ conditions. They carry out tests, such as blood pressure tests. They also carry out new patient health checks and advise patients on how to stay well.
Advanced practitioners
These healthcare specialists are skilled in assessing, diagnosing, implementing, and evaluating treatments or interventions and care for patients who present with an undiagnosed condition.
Depending on your needs, the advanced practitioner could be a specialist physiotherapist, dietitian, podiatrist, occupational therapist, paramedic, clinical pharmacist or nurse.
Care coordinators
Care Coordinators are personalised care roles, who co-ordinate and navigate your care across the system. They help you make the right connections, with the right teams, at the right time.
They are skilled in personalised conversations, working with you to ensure your needs are being met and providing information and expertise to prepare you for any clinical conversations.
Social prescribers
Social prescribers are link workers who are based in GP practices to support you in managing your health and wellbeing.
Social prescribers offer a person-centred conversation, based around asking, “What matters to you?” They connect you to community-based services, groups and activities that meet practical, social, and emotional needs that may be affecting your health and wellbeing.
Physician associates
Physician associates are clinically trained healthcare professionals who play a supportive role in your local health team. Physician associates are not doctors and must work under the supervision of a named GP.
Physician associates can take your medical history, plan your treatment, request and analyse test results and give you advice about your health and wellbeing.
Your local pharmacy
Help is just around the corner from your local pharmacist, a highly trained health professional who can provide expert advice on minor health conditions, including coughs and colds, rashes, sexual health and contraception, sickness and diarrhoea, cuts and grazes, and general health advice. You don’t need to make an appointment and pharmacies have a consultation room where you can speak privately.
If symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, a pharmacist will tell you if you need to see a GP, nurse, or other health professional.
Many pharmacies are open late and at weekends. Find your nearest pharmacy and opening times.
Watch this short film to find out how pharmacies can help you.
Urgent health care
NHS urgent treatment centres and walk-in centres can help with urgent, but non-life threatening, injuries or illnesses. This includes sprains and strains, suspected broken bones, injuries, cuts and bruises, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, skin infections and rashes, and high temperatures.
They are open seven days a week.
Find out more: Urgent treatment and walk-in centres
NHS 111
When you have an urgent medical need that isn’t life threatening, or you’re unsure what to do, call NHS 111 free from your mobile or landline or visit: www.111.nhs.uk
NHS 111 is always open and can provide advice, direct you to local services that can help or book you an appointment. NHS 111 can also provide advice on mental health and urgent dental care.
For life-threatening injuries or illnesses go straight to A&E or call 999 immediately.
Vaccinations and winter health
Getting vaccinated for flu, COVID-19, and RSV will help protect you against serious illnesses. If you are eligible, be sure to get your vaccines as soon as possible.
You may also be eligible for other vaccinations, including the pneumococcal vaccine, and shingles. Find out more about staying well this winter.
Mental health support
For information and support visit: www.nhs.uk/mental-health
For services across Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington visit: North London Mental Health Partnership
For London-wide information and advice visit: www.good-thinking.uk
To get urgent mental health help, call NHS 111 or visit: www.111.nhs.uk
Your local area
To find out what services are on offer in your local area, visit our pages for:
Return to Your Local Health Team landing page
Find out more
GP receptionists Noelia and Camelia talk about what their job involves and how they help patients get the care they need.
Nurses Brighid and Huma explain how you can protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated.
Care coordinator Ellie talks about her job and how the NHS App is a quick way to get test results and order repeat prescriptions.
Nabeel explains how your local pharmacy can assess and prescribe medicine without a GP appointment for certain conditions: Think Pharmacy First.