The future role of the nurse in general practice.

WE ARE all aware of the impending re-organisation of health and personal social services in Northern Ireland, aimed at producing functional integration of hospital and community services. This is a response to the changing medico-social needs of society. One is also aware of the profound structural changes taking place in primary medical care, based on health centre development. The concept of the primary care team of doctors, nurses and social workers is now accepted and firmly established in some areas, although few social workers are as yet attached to general practice. We have much greater experince of nurse and health visitor attachments. Maybin (1972) states that by 1975 well over 50 per cent of doctors in the province will be practising from health centres, and in the forseeable future this will have risen to a-t least 70 per cent.