General Practices, also known as GP surgeries or clinics, are usually the first point of contact for people seeking medical help and guidance, offering 10–15-minute consultations and a range of essential, additional and enhanced healthcare services.

General Practices are community-orientated, providing ‘patient-focused’ services which strengthen ‘continuity of care,’ including management of both acute and chronic health conditions, medication prescription, medical record keeping, and onward referral to specialists, hospitals, and other secondary care and community healthcare providers.

The General Practice workforce contributes enormously to health education and preventative health care, and GP services help to reduce the overall demand for hospital care and resources. With technological advances, government funding, and the ongoing need for comprehensive primary healthcare in the community, the GP sector in the UK will continue to grow and respond, offering rewarding professions and career development opportunities.

Clerical and Non-Clinical Support Staff who work in General Practice have various duties which help to keep the GP business running smoothly. They provide clerical and operational support, which may include reception and frontline customer service, answering phones and enquiries, booking appointments, data entry, processing payments and paying bills, compiling records of patient history and ongoing treatment, communicating important information to medical staff, ordering supplies, upkeeping the office, and cleaning and maintenance. These roles require good knowledge of medical terminology and customer service skills, and they are supported by the Practice Manager.