Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Role Boundaries for GP Receptionists and Care Navigators.

These sources cover role boundaries, care navigation, team roles, confidentiality, records, test results, medicines workflows and digital professionalism. Use local policies and supervision for live boundary decisions.

1. GP Reception and Care Navigation Roles

• NHS Health Careers - Receptionist
  Describes the NHS receptionist role, including first contact, answering queries, booking appointments and supporting patients who may be nervous or upset.
  https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/wider-healthcare-team/roles-wider-healthcare-team/administration/receptionist

• NHS England - How to improve care navigation in general practice
  Core guidance on care navigation covering training, protocols, supervision, patient communication, safety considerations and staff support.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/how-to-improve-care-navigation-in-general-practice-2/

• BMA - Care navigation and triage in general practice
  Guidance distinguishing clinical triage from care navigation and explaining why roles, training and processes must be clear.
  https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/managing-workload/care-navigation-and-triage-in-general-practice

• NHS Inform Scotland - General practice services
  Explains GP practice services and reception team duties, emphasising that receptionists may gather general information but do not make clinical decisions.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/doctors/general-practice-services/

• NHS England South East - Meet your General Practice team
  Describes wider practice roles such as pharmacists, physiotherapists, mental health practitioners and social prescribers, useful for understanding local referral pathways.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/south-east/our-work/meet-your-general-practice-team/

2. Confidentiality, Records and Information Governance

• National Data Guardian - The Caldicott Principles
  Sets principles for handling confidential patient information, including using the minimum necessary data, need-to-know access and sharing for individual care where appropriate.
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-caldicott-principles

• NHS Transformation Directorate - Records Management Code of Practice
  Guidance on records management for health and care organisations in England, covering accurate records, retention and appropriate handling.
  https://transform.england.nhs.uk/information-governance/guidance/records-management-code/records-management-code-of-practice/

• NHS England - Accessible Information Standard
  Explains duties to provide communication support and accessible information for people with disabilities or sensory loss, relevant to fair access and communication choices.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/accessible-information-standard/

3. Results, Medicines and Digital Access

• NHS App help - Viewing test results
  Explains how patients may view GP-ordered test results in the NHS App, why some results may not appear and when results need clinical discussion. Relevant to result-query boundaries.
  https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/help/test-results/

• NHS App help - Request or view prescriptions
  Covers repeat prescription requests, missing medicines, urgent repeat requests and medication review prompts. Relevant to medicines workflow boundaries.
  https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/help/prescriptions/requesting-a-prescription/

• NHS England - You and your general practice
  Patient-facing guidance on contacting the practice, sharing information, preferences, complaints and online services, and what patients can expect from the practice team.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/you-and-your-general-practice-english/

4. Digital Professionalism and Four-Nations Context

• NHS Employers - Legal advice on inappropriate behaviour outside the workplace
  Guidance on staff conduct outside work, including misuse of social media, to help staff understand that professional standards can extend beyond the workplace.
  https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/legal-advice-inappropriate-behaviour-outside-workplace

• Scottish Government - General Practice Access Short Life Working Group: access principles
  Sets out Scottish access principles, including trained administrative staff, wider team roles, continuity, digital inclusion and providing care in the right place and time.
  https://www.gov.scot/publications/general-practice-access-short-life-working-group/pages/2/

• Welsh Government - GMS contract access commitment 2024 to 2025
  Guidance on GP access commitments and local implementation in Wales, showing how access systems and staff roles are governed nationally and locally.
  https://www.gov.wales/gms-contract-access-commitment-2024-2025

• Department of Health Northern Ireland - Primary Care Multi-disciplinary Teams
  Describes the MDT model in Northern Ireland primary care and its implications for team roles and boundaries across primary care services.
  https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/primary-care-multi-disciplinary-teams-mdts