The Metropolitan Police, which employs more than 120 nurses based in police stations across London,  has been working with the NHS to help more healthcare professionals qualify as non-medical prescribers, bringing benefits for patients.  

The idea for collaboration was born out of a connection between Eoin Bradley, a senior registered nurse who has developed his career in the Metropolitan Police's custody healthcare team, and Fiona White, a lead nurse in south-west London. The pair have known each other for years, and when Bradley wanted to qualify as a prescriber, he trained at White's Morden Hall practice. This got them thinking that better collaboration with GP practices could be a way to boost the numbers of non-medical prescribers in the Met.

Bradley said: ‘A lot of the people in custody have alcohol or drug problems. In the past, they had to wait for a doctor to come along and prescribe painkillers or other medications. But with only one or two doctors covering the whole of London, the service was stretched. Many patients struggling with acute detox would up in A&E.

‘Our new training approach means we now have healthcare professionals who can prescribe in every police station, staffing levels are the highest they've ever been.  We are aiming to train a further 40 non-medical prescribers over the next four years which will make things even better.'

He added: ‘It's really empowering to get that qualification as a prescriber. That's been so beneficial along with the opportunity for joint learning. I learned so much when I worked with Fiona, as have all my colleagues.'

White said: ‘It's about getting rid of barriers, seeing the opportunities where we can support each other. 

‘And it's making nursing more exciting, keeping people engaged so they have more satisfaction, are more likely to stay in their job for longer and feel they are really making a difference.'