Working on ARRS staff communications for your patients right now? They’re your not-so-secret weapon when it comes to increasing access.
And now you’ve got talented new ARRS staff working with your practice, you probably know what a difference they’re making to the patients who have chosen to see them over a GP. Do your patients?
Your clinical pharmacist
Remember watching The Matrix? As the Morpheus of the clinical world, your clinical pharmacist is an expert in red pills, blue pills. All the meds, really.
Your patients value them for so many reasons but mostly because they:
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- Have more time to answer medication queries or give reassuring advice about minor illnesses.
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- Use their polypharmacy powers to keep pesky side effects and symptoms in check for those with complex conditions, saving a lot of aggro and often hospital visits too.
Your practice values them most because they:
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- Can take a rather large chunk of medication-related tasks and queries off your GPs – a big relief! SMRs, CVD, inhaler reviews and if they happen to be an independent prescriber too…even better!
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- Become the wise go-to guru for all prescribers across the practice and PCN. New knowledge, prescribing practices and processes that save time and help more patients are precious blessings in the hectic world of general practice.
Your social prescriber
Remember Lord of The Rings? Sometimes considered the Samwise Gamgee of health and wellbeing, your social prescribing link worker has the time, focus and skills to help people going through tough times or long battles.
Your patients value them for so many reasons but mostly because they:
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- Build confidence, create connections and ease emotions in practical ways that often a pill cannot.
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- Light the path towards better health and wellbeing through lots of face-to-face and telephone contacts over a good length of time.
Your practice values them most because they:
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- Can reduce GP consultations by almost half for people that need a steady, expert dose of non-clinical support.
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- Have the latest community connections and information at their fingertips to help patients and are often nice and easy to refer to.
Your First Contact Physiotherapist
Even Chuck Norris leaves this lot alone! Where GPs are medical generalists, your first contact physios are musculoskeletal masters. They know every inch of our joints, bones and muscles.
Your patients value them for so many reasons but mostly because they:
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- Can diagnose, treat and give advice in a flash, often quicker than waiting to see a GP. Pain meds and referrals can be arranged too.
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- Offer longer appointments so there’s chance to feel really listened to, cared for and reassured during a visit. Just what’s needed when you’re in pain.
Your practice values them most because they:
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- Can see around 1 in 5 appointments for GPs. MSK issues are common and often respond better to manipulation and movement than meds.
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- Stop many long-term and chronic pain issues in their tracks through swift care, practical advice on self-management and careful onward management as needed.
Your Physician Associate
Rocking routine appointments like the main stage at Glastonbury, these generalists are lifelines to patients and practices alike in these hectic times.
Your patients value them for so many reasons but mostly because they:
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- Have more time to spend with those who are worried about not just routine issues but long-term conditions too. Feels like you’re getting special service when you have an appointment with them!
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- Often have a specialist interest such as dementia or children’s health, so they become the go-to practitioner for that in practice.
Your practice values them most because they:
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- Reduce stress and allow GPs to handle the more complex cases in practice.
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- Provide a much-needed generalist resource and faster access for patients, leaving more patients happy.
Ideas for an authentic patient communications campaign
And that’s just four of the ARRS staff that might currently be working with your practice! That’s a lot to share with patients, right?
The NHS has published communications materials to help you promote your ARRS staff which should give you a head start but practices and primary care networks that have built their own communications campaigns around their ARRS staff have succeeded much better in promoting their teams. Why? Because you can make it your own. People trust what and who they know; it’s much more authentic.
And crafting your own communications campaign takes less time and energy than you think. If you’re really stuck though, have a chat with us here at Primary Care Comms Clinic. You’ll be amazed at what’s possible…
