The UK has been ahead of many other countries in recognising the benefits that nurses bring to the primary care team. They have become significantly more skilled over recent years, and are now providing services to patients that may have previously been delivered by GPs. Much of their work involves managing the care of patients with long-term conditions and running a wider range of extended services in the practice:
monitoring of long-term conditions such as asthmas, diabetes and hypertension
support for vulnerable groups of patients
cytology services
family planning
wound care and management
smoking cessation
childhood and travel vaccinations
