Nurse Practitioners are trained specialist nurses. They are highly experienced nurses who have undertaken additional medical education in order to provide advanced nursing care and to prescribe medication.
Nurse practitioners can provide treatment and advice for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor for in the past. Their main areas of expertise are in the management of common illnesses and long term conditions.
The nurse practitioners can assess and examine you, make a diagnosis and provide advice and treatment including a prescription if required. They can order any necessary investigations, make referrals to hospital doctors or other health care professionals, and admit patients into hospital when necessary.
The nurse practitioners work closely with your doctor and liaise frequently with her/him about your care. If clinically appropriate, you may be referred to the doctor.
You are able to book an appointment to see a Nurse Practitioner via online services. These appointments are called ‘Minor Illness’ and become available from 18:30 Sunday to Thursday for a next day appointment.
Nurse Practitioners can treat you for:
- Acute chest infection, asthma or COPD
- Conjunctivitis, sticky discharging eye, sty, eye infections/allergies
- Diarrhoea, constipation, piles
- Dizziness, giddiness, unusual headache
- Earache, swollen glands
- Oral thrush
- Raised temperature that does not improve after pharmacists’ advice and home treatment
- Rashes
- Shingles
- Tonsillitis, cough, sinusitis, sore throat, colds and flu-like illnesses
- Urinary tract infections, Vaginal thrush, soreness, lump or discharge
- Vomiting
- Unexplained lumps