The Rothbury Practice opens doors to paramedic student from University of Sunderland

The Rothbury Practice has welcomed University of Sunderland paramedic student Phil Calcutt into their team for a valuable placement experience.

It comes as part of a growing relationship between Northumbria Primary Care and the University of Sunderland.

The Rothbury Practice is part of Northumbria Primary Care (NPC), which now manages nine GP practices looking after nearly 60,000 patients.

Last year, the organisation’s Northumberland practices formed their own Primary Care Network which introduced the paramedic role into its practices to improve the service available to patients.

Paramedics run clinics, triage and manage minor illnesses and provide continuity for patients with complex health needs among a host of other responsibilities.

Their presence within a GP practice allows for an additional dimension of care, as well as reducing GP workloads.

Phil, who recently completed a two-week placement at The Rothbury Practice, said: “When I started my course, I hadn’t really considered how my role would fit within the context of primary care. I think when most people think of paramedics they think of hospital and ambulances, not GP practices.

“Being able to work alongside the brilliant team at The Rothbury Practice was an amazing experience. Working in primary care wasn’t something I thought I’d be doing, but I learned so much during my placement.”

Paula Treadwell, senior lecturer and practice placement lead at the University of Sunderland, said: “It’s important that we’re able to provide a wide range of experiences to our students.”