Advanced Nurse Practitioners

What is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP)?

ANPs are trained advanced health practitioners who have undertaken additional education to enable them to provide advanced patient care and to prescribe.  They are an important part of the general practice team.  In providing the care for patients, they follow the ‘Core Capabilities Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice (Nurses) Working in General Practice / Primary Care in England’ which has been produced in conjunction with the Royal College of General Practitioners (GPs).

ANPs are experienced and highly skilled senior nurses with advanced clinical skills to enable them to:

• Take a full medical history, carry out physical assessments and examinations
• Make a diagnosis and carry out treatment, including the prescribing of medicines.
• Plan any required follow up treatment
• Refer patients where necessary
• Arrange admission to hospital if necessary
• Can advise whether your condition requires you to take time off work and can provide ‘Fit Notes’

If your appointment is directed to an ANP it is because they are trained to assess and examine you for the condition you have described.

ANPs have different areas of expertise. Our ANPs are all trained in Minor Illness (Acute) and as such, are able to assess and treat conditions such as:

• Acute (not ongoing) Back and Joint Pain
• Wounds, Scalds, Burns and Rashes
• Shingles
• Oral Thrush
• Infections such as Chest, Ear, Throat, Sinusitis, skin infections such as boils and abscess’
• Diarrhoea and Vomiting
• Constipation
• Piles
• Depression
• Some Gynaecological conditions

This list is not exhaustive.

Some patients, often those with complex and long-standing medical problems may need an appointment with a GP afterwards, however the ANP is usually able to assess the situation and in some cases organise initial blood tests and other investigations prior to arranging a follow up with your GP.