Giving student nurses first-hand experience of primary care and supporting people’s health across the county are just two of the wins NHS Gloucestershire’s Nurses on Tour scheme has seen so far.

With more than 300 people given full health checks by a team of student nurses on the NHS Gloucestershire health bus, the project is already picking up patients who may fall between the gaps – around 40% of those seen were identified as having high blood pressure. It’s also giving trainee nurses from the University of Gloucestershire a chance to understand and experience community roles, with several going on to work within primary care.

The scheme is the brainchild of Sarah Rogers, Lead Nurse for Gloucestershire Primary Care Training Hub, who is working to improve nurse recruitment and retention in primary care.

She explained:

“We take between four and five students out to practices where they see between 30 and 60 patients in one day and they do health checks. It helps practice nurses work better and it helps the students see what practice nurse life is like.

“It isn’t just the patients who are coming in for blood pressure checks, they often want to talk about lumps they have found and other worrying symptoms. It is a real eye opener for the students. Some people are anxious about being in a medical setting, but on the bus it isn’t as formal.

“We’ve seen more than 300 people, 40 per cent had high blood pressure but weren’t previously aware of it, several went on to have further tests and treatment. It has been so worthwhile from the nurses’ point of view and the GPs’ point of view.”

Several of the students involved have now gone on to work in Primary Care settings, having enjoyed the first hand experience of practice nurse life and the opportunity to talk to those already working in surgeries across the county.

Alongside Nurses on Tour, Sarah has also set up training and study days for Healthcare Assistants and helped develop a Legacy Mentoring scheme to offer peer support to those working in Primary Care.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed, in June Sarah picked up the Workforce Practice Innovation Award Winner at the NHS England South West General Practice Nursing Awards.

Marion Andrews-Evans, Executive Chief Nurse at NHS Gloucestershire, said the Nurses on Tour project was a great example of how the NHS is working to transform how it cares for people living in the county.

She said:

“Not only do the Nurses on Tour help our GPs and Practice Nurses meet the needs of those people who might not normally book in for a health check, but it also gives the students an insight into life in primary care.

“Sarah and her team are working hard to make sure we recruit and retain even more amazing nurses and health care assistants as well as supporting our existing staff. As the role of nurses changes it is so important that we invest in our workforce to make sure we help everyone in Gloucestershire live a full and healthy life.”