GP surgeries are under significant strain and need to be supported by multidisciplinary teams. This could and should include occupational therapists – having an occupational therapist attached to a GP practice provides an alternative offer for people seeking support. The results of an improvement project in NHS Lanarkshire revealed that having an occupational therapy service within GP settings can reduce the number of repeat appointments and prescriptions, with initial findings demonstrating a reduction in the number of return appointments to a GP by up to 55%. Ensuring occupational therapists play a key role in multidisciplinary teams will allow communities to be better supported and ease the pressure on general practice.
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