A District Nurse/GP Attachment *Reprinted from The Medical Officer, Vol. CXVII No. 13, 1967

The district nursing service in Bristol comprises more than 80 nurses working on a geographical basis, of whom 52 have specific case-loads and the others act as reliefs and assistants. Requests for their help are channelled through a central office and then out to the appropriate nurse. In 1965 consideration was given as to what might be done to enable general practitioners to have closer working relationships with district nurses. A selected number of doctors was asked whether they would welcome the attachment of a nurse, what type of work they thought the nurse would do, and?if she were to work at the surgery?the approximate number of hours she would be required. They were also asked questions on transport and size of the area which was covered by the practice. The answers were variable, but most thought that secondment of the nurse to the practice would improve personal relationships and enable the general practitioner to confer directly with the nurse about the patient, instead of calling the central unit or leaving notes and telephone messages. It was thought that the nurse could carry out immunization of children, therapeutic injections, dressings, urine testing, and taking of specimens on behalf of the general practitioner. Preparation of treatment trays, sterilizing instruments, and servicing the doctor's treatment case were also suggested as suitable tasks to be undertaken at the doctor's surgery. One doctor thought that home visiting by the nurse and doctor might be reduced if a nurse were attending his surgery at regular intervals to give injections, particularly to elderly patients. He thought that a number of geriatric patients could, with a little effort, make their way to the surgery for attention.