A well-resourced, multidisciplinary primary healthcare team has the capacity to coordinate high-quality care and ensure patients can achieve the best possible health outcomes. Patient care in general practice continues to be a team effort, with the staff composition of each general practice varying depending on community need.
The majority of GPs (92%) reported that a practice nurse works in their main practice, while around half (52%) indicated their practice employed allied health professionals. GPs believe patients would benefit from practice nurses (88%), psychologists (75%), other allied health professionals (67%), and diabetes educators (64%) embedded within general practice.
Data from across the sector indicates that half of general practices are planning to increase the number of healthcare professionals within their practice in the next year. Almost three in five practices (59%) plan to expand the services offered by the GPs and other healthcare professionals within their practice.10