What Training Does Your GP Practice Team Need?
A Practical Guide to Staff Training, Competency and Professional Development in Primary Care
Why Training Matters in General Practice
Building a Safe, Skilled and Confident Primary Care Workforce
General practice relies on a diverse workforce, from reception and administrative teams through to Healthcare Assistants, practice nurses, pharmacists and advanced clinical practitioners. Each role contributes to delivering safe, effective and high-quality patient care.
However, training needs vary considerably depending on an individual's responsibilities, experience and scope of practice.
A well-structured training programme should go beyond simply completing an online course. It should support staff to develop relevant knowledge, demonstrate practical competence where required, understand their professional responsibilities and maintain their skills through ongoing learning and supervision.
For GP practice managers and clinical leads, identifying appropriate training is an important part of workforce development, patient safety and meeting regulatory expectations.
What Training Does Each Member of the GP Practice Team Need? What Training Does Each Member of the GP Practice Team Need?
Understanding Different Roles, Responsibilities and Learning Needs
Healthcare Assistants (HCAs)
Healthcare Assistants play an important role in delivering routine care within general practice. Depending on their experience, training and locally agreed responsibilities, their duties may include clinical observations, phlebotomy, ECG recording, wound care support and other delegated clinical activities.
Training should reflect their scope of practice and include appropriate theoretical learning, supervised practical experience and documented competency assessments where required.
Practice Nurses and Registered Healthcare Professionals
Practice nurses and other registered healthcare professionals require ongoing professional development to maintain and expand their knowledge and skills.
Training needs may include wound management, diabetes care, respiratory assessment, menopause care and other areas of long-term condition management.
Any development of clinical responsibilities should be supported by appropriate education, supervision and assessment of competence, alongside professional registration requirements.
Reception and Administrative Teams
Non-clinical staff are often the first point of contact for patients and play an essential role in delivering safe and effective primary care services.
Training may include chaperoning, confidentiality, safeguarding awareness, communication skills, care navigation and recognising when concerns require escalation.
Although these roles are non-clinical, staff must understand their responsibilities, professional boundaries and local procedures.
Advanced Clinical Practitioners and Other Clinical Team Members
Advanced clinical practitioners, paramedics, pharmacists and other members of the multidisciplinary team require learning and development appropriate to their professional background, individual scope of practice and clinical responsibilities.
This may include advanced assessment skills, clinical decision-making, prescribing where authorised, patient safety, leadership, supervision and ongoing professional development.
A Whole-Team Approach
Regardless of job title, training should be tailored to the individual's role, experience and responsibilities. Completing a course does not automatically demonstrate practical competence or authorise someone to undertake a clinical procedure.
GP practices should ensure that staff have access to appropriate supervision, documented competency assessment where relevant, and ongoing opportunities to maintain and develop their skills.
Training, Competency and CQC Expectations
Why Completing a Course Is Only Part of the Process
Training and competency are essential components of safe, effective care in general practice. However, completing a training course and receiving a certificate does not necessarily mean an individual is competent to undertake a particular clinical activity independently.
What Does CQC Expect?
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects registered providers to ensure staff receive appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal to enable them to carry out their duties safely and effectively.
Under Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, providers must ensure that staff are suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced for the responsibilities they undertake.
Training requirements should therefore be informed by the individual's role, responsibilities and identified learning needs, rather than relying solely on a generic training checklist.
The Importance of Competency Assessment
For practical clinical skills, such as phlebotomy, ECG recording, wound care and suture or clip removal, theoretical knowledge should be supported by appropriate supervised practice and assessment of competence.
Practices should consider:
Whether the individual has completed appropriate theoretical training.
Whether supervised practical experience is required.
How competence will be assessed and documented.
Whether the activity falls within the individual's agreed scope of practice.
What ongoing supervision, updates or reassessment may be necessary.
Maintaining Competence
Competence is not a one-off achievement. Staff should have opportunities to maintain their knowledge and skills through continuing professional development, reflective practice, supervision and appropriate updates.
Training records, competency assessments and individual development plans can help practices demonstrate how they support staff to deliver safe, effective and consistent patient care.
A well-planned approach to training benefits staff, patients and the wider practice by supporting confidence, accountability and continuous improvement.
Supporting Your Team's Training and Development
Practical Online Training Designed for General Practice
At GP Practice Training Ltd, we understand the challenges of developing and maintaining a skilled primary care workforce because we continue to work in general practice ourselves.
Our online courses are designed to support Healthcare Assistants, practice nurses and wider clinical and non-clinical teams with practical, relevant and accessible learning.
Our training portfolio includes Healthcare Assistant development programmes, phlebotomy, wound care, suture and clip removal, ECG recording, spirometry and FeNO, diabetes, menopause awareness, chaperoning and other essential primary care skills.
Courses provide flexible learning opportunities, allowing staff to develop their knowledge around existing professional and practice commitments. Where practical competencies are required, training should be supported by appropriate workplace supervision and assessment.
Whether you're developing a new Healthcare Assistant, supporting an experienced practice nurse or identifying learning needs across your wider team, GP Practice Training can help you plan the next steps in professional development.