Establishing a minor illness nurse in a busy general practice

摘要

Objective—To study the feasibility of a practice nurse caring for patients with minor illnesses. Design—Nurse given training in dealing with patients with minor illnesses. Patients requesting a same day appointment were offered a nurse consultation. Setting—Group practice in Stockton on Tees. Main outcome measures—Number of consultations which required a doctor contact, treatment, and rate of reconsultation. Results—Of 696 consultations in six months, 602 (86%) required no doctor contact. 549 (79%) patients did not reconsult about that episode of illness, and 343 (50%) patients were given advice on self care only. Conclusion—Trained nurses could diagnose and treat a large proportion of patients currently consulting general practitioners about minor illness provided that the nurse has immediate access to a doctor.