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Care Navigation for GP Receptionists and Care Navigators

Safe access, signposting, escalation and patient trust

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Care Navigation Welcome
Care Navigation in GP
Care Navigation Boundaries
Phone, Online & Front Desk
Gathering Info Respectfully
Local Protocols & Services
Urgency & Red Flags
Matching Need to Right Care
Signposting & Self-Care
Equality & Digital Inclusion
Confidentiality & Trust
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Signposting and self-care without abandonment

Signposting is directing a patient to another appropriate service or source of support. It should not feel like dismissal. The patient must know why the route fits their needs, how to access it and what to do if circumstances change.

Self-care advice and community services can be suitable for many patients. But urgent symptoms, safeguarding concerns, limited understanding, communication barriers, severe distress or repeated failed attempts to access care may mean the patient needs more direct help than signposting alone.

Safe signposting includes

A clear reason why the service may be suitable.
Practical details about how to access it.
Checking whether the patient can use the route.
Safety-netting according to local wording or clinician advice.
A plan for what happens if the service is unavailable or the patient worsens.

Scenario

A patient is told to contact a pharmacy about a sore throat. They reply, "I cannot get there today and I am worried because I look after my disabled husband."

How can signposting avoid abandonment?

Do not simply repeat the instruction to go to the pharmacy.
Check whether the patient can realistically use the suggested route.
Consider whether caring responsibilities, symptoms or access barriers change the safest next step.
Use the practice protocol or ask a clinician for advice if the route may not work for this person.
Tell the patient what to do if their symptoms worsen or they cannot access the suggested service.

HSCNI Pharmacy First lets eligible patients in Northern Ireland receive advice and, when appropriate, treatment from community pharmacies for defined services such as common health conditions, emergency hormonal contraception, urinary tract infection, sore throat and shingles.

Availability, eligibility and local arrangements vary. Care navigators should use current local information and avoid promising services without checking the pathway.

Good signposting gives the patient a usable next step, not just a different door to knock on.

Optional: Not part of the course final assessment.

Another?

Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

Explain clearly why the suggested service suits the patient’s needs.
Give practical access details (how to get there, opening times, costs, eligibility).
Check the patient can realistically use the route (transport, caring duties, communication needs).
Use local protocols and clinician advice if there are barriers, safeguarding concerns, urgent symptoms or severe distress.
Provide safety‑netting: what to watch for, when to return, and who to contact if worse.
Plan and explain an alternative if the suggested service is unavailable or unsuitable.
Avoid simply repeating a referral; ensure the patient leaves with a usable next step.
Verify local schemes (e.g. HSCNI Pharmacy First) before promising services to patients.

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Course Snapshot

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Length: 60 minutes CPD (1.00 CE Credits)
Appropriate for: gp receptionist, care navigator, call handler, front desk staff, reception manager, practice manager, clinical supervisor, practice nurse, social prescriber
Course Price: Free
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Assessment requirements
To receive a CPD certificate you must view all course pages while logged in, then take a MCQ assessment.
- 10 questions, pass mark 80%.
- You have unlimited attempts.

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Cite this resource

Harvard

Mecourse Lifelong Learning (2026) ‘Signposting and self-care without abandonment’. Birmingham, UK: Mecourse Lifelong Learning [Online]. Available at: https://www.mecourse.com/care-navigation-for-gp-receptionists-and-care-navigators-signposting-and-self-care-without-abandonment [Accessed 12 May 2026].

Vancouver

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Signposting and self-care without abandonment [Internet]. Birmingham, UK: Mecourse Lifelong Learning; 2026 May 10 [cited 2026 May 12]. Available from: https://www.mecourse.com/care-navigation-for-gp-receptionists-and-care-navigators-signposting-and-self-care-without-abandonment.

Chicago

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. “Signposting and self-care without abandonment.” 2026. https://www.mecourse.com/care-navigation-for-gp-receptionists-and-care-navigators-signposting-and-self-care-without-abandonment. Accessed May 12, 2026.

APA

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. (2026, May 10). Signposting and self-care without abandonment. https://www.mecourse.com/care-navigation-for-gp-receptionists-and-care-navigators-signposting-and-self-care-without-abandonment

IEEE

Mecourse Lifelong Learning, “Signposting and self-care without abandonment.” Mecourse Lifelong Learning. https://www.mecourse.com/care-navigation-for-gp-receptionists-and-care-navigators-signposting-and-self-care-without-abandonment (Accessed: May 12, 2026).

AMA

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Signposting and self-care without abandonment. Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Published May 10, 2026. Accessed May 12, 2026. https://www.mecourse.com/care-navigation-for-gp-receptionists-and-care-navigators-signposting-and-self-care-without-abandonment.

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Signposting and self-care without abandonment

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