What is Care Navigation?

Care Navigation is a tried and tested model of care that improves access to NHS services for patients.

It allows front line staff to provide patients with more information about local health and wellbeing services, both within and outside of primary care, in a safe, effective way. It is about offering patients choice and help to access the most appropriate service first which is not always the GP. It means that patients will find it easier to get a GP appointment when they need one.

Care navigators are receptionists and admin staff who have been given specialist training to help them direct patients to the right health professional first time. For example, when a patient presents with symptoms that would be better dealt with by another service such as a pharmacist or optician, patients can be confidently offered these choices, allowing them to go straight to the service which best meets their health and wellbeing needs.

Across Lancashire, work is being done by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to make sure that when people need to see a GP, they have access to one quickly and in a way that suits them, be that in person or over the phone.

Sometimes though, the GP isn’t really the best person to see. Patients could be seen and treated quicker by a nurse or a pharmacist for example and in some cases, the GP practice might not be the right place at all for the query. That’s where care navigation comes in.

Care navigation supports practices and patients to make the best use of valuable NHS resources.

Some services currently available for care navigators to signpost to are:

• Minor Eye Treatment Service
• Health and Wellbeing
• Dermatology (Skin Analytics)
• Social Prescribers
• Community Pharmacy
• Emergency dentist

When a patient contacts the practice for an appointment, the care navigator will ask for a brief outline of the problem so they can identify the patient’s need. This will allow the care navigator to refer to information about services in the practice, other NHS providers and the wider care and support sector. Where appropriate, they will direct the patient to these services.

 You won’t be asked to divulge any personal or confidential information, and you can refuse of course, the option is yours and you will never be refused a GP appointment. Please be assured that if you need to see a GP,  you will get to see a GP.

 Care Navigators will never try to diagnose your problem or offer you clinical advice; this new way of working is about offering you the choice to see other health professionals who will be more appropriate than the GP, and who may often be able to see you quicker and easier. Their goal is to ensure that patients get the right care at the right time in the right place with the right outcome.

 More information about self-care for common conditions that can be treated without the need for a GP appointment can be found (here)