PARLIAMENTARY BRIEFING: Health, Social Care & Sport Committee Inquiry into Alternative Pathways

When a person seeks healthcare their first point of contact is usually with a general practitioner (a GP, or family doctor). The inquiry, however, is focused on other sources of healthcare that exist in the community, which they term ‘alternative’ pathways. The aim of the inquiry is to explore how alternative pathways are being accessed and used in primary care, and to identify key issues and opportunities for improvement.

RCN members, from a range of settings, display a high level of awareness about the availability of alternative pathways. Awareness is especially high for staff working in for example in Deep End practices, such as in Craigmillar in Edinburgh and for staff whose roles have changed or been affected by the creation of new pathways or structural reorganisations. The limitation on practitioners’ ability to access alternative pathways is often down to a lack of support or local structures, rather than a lack of awareness.