Julie Eldridge has joined the GP Care Group as our new Clinical Lead Nurse. Read our 60-second interview with Julie to learn more about her role.
What are the main aspects of your role?
I will be primarily looking after the nursing team to ensure the safe delivery of evidenced based care. I will be making sure the Urgent Treatment Centre is clean and infection control standards are adhered to. I will be listening to patients and staff and working on new ideas to improve the patient experience.
Who do you work closely within the Urgent Treatment Centre?
I work with many colleagues to ensure the Urgent Treatment Centre works well. I directly line manage the nursing team but also work closely with our medical colleagues who are General Practitioners as well as the Care Navigators and our Management Team.
I have a strong connection with the Emergency Department at The Royal London Hospital having worked there as a nurse practitioner for 15 years. I also have experience working in Tower Hamlets General Practice during my Primary Care Fellowship in Urgent and Acute Care.
I think it is important to understand the roles of others as it helps to foster good teamwork between the hospital and general practice and more effective patient care.
What do you consider to be the priorities for the Urgent Treatment Centre in the next one-two years?
It’s been quite a challenging time during the last couple of years for patients and our workforce and one of the greatest challenges will be to get the Urgent Treatment Centre working as efficiently as we can. The Urgent Treatment Centre sits somewhere in the middle of emergency care and GP practice care, so we want to make sure that patients are seen in the right place. We will be introducing a new GP-led community hub to enable more appointments for our patients of lower acuity.
My main priority is to build a strong team of nurses so that we can work seamlessly together. Forming good working relationships is important as is supporting one another through professional development to benefit our patients. Fostering a caring working environment that is safe and clean is a top priority for me.
