How we work with your GP
Written by Thomas Berthier, State-registered nurse · · 2 min read
Reviewed on · Reviewed by Léa Marchand
Who decides what, what we report, and when we pick up the phone — coordination seen from the inside.
Key points
- The nurse is often the professional who sees the patient most often: their observation is clinical information.
- A structured written handover beats an improvised call, except in an emergency.
- Health data travels through secure messaging, not text messages.
- A treatment change nobody forwards is an incident waiting to happen.
Who does what
The doctor prescribes and diagnoses. We carry out the prescribed care, observe and report.
We never change a treatment on our own initiative: we call, we describe what we see, and the decision belongs to the prescriber.
What triggers an immediate call
Unexplained fever, a wound changing in appearance or smell, new pain, very low or very high blood glucose, unusual confusion.
In a life-threatening situation we call 15 before anyone else. Coordination comes afterwards.
What we report, and in what form
After the first visit the doctor receives a written report: what we found at home, what was done, what concerns us, what we propose to monitor. One page, not ten.
After that the rule is simple: we write when something changes, and we telephone when something is urgent. A report arriving after the decision helps no one.
Exchanges go through secure health messaging where the doctor uses it. Failing that, by telephone, with a written trace in the care record.
The other professionals around the home
Physiotherapist, speech therapist, home help, pharmacist, laboratory: each sees the person at a moment when the others are absent. The care record left at home is what links those scattered observations.
We tell the pharmacist when a prescription changes and the laboratory when a sample must reach it within a tight window. Those two calls prevent most treatment delays.
When several professionals follow one another, we ask that one be identified as the lead for the file. Without a lead, coordination becomes a stream of messages with no recipient.
What stays in the home
A care record stays with you: any professional passing through — doctor, physiotherapist, locum — can see what was done and when.
It holds visit dates, observations, recorded vital signs, treatments given and calls made. It belongs to you: you may read it, show it and ask for a copy at any time.
Frequently asked questions on this page
- Is the doctor informed of every visit?
- They receive a report at set-up, then at every notable event and at an agreed rhythm. Daily detail stays documented and available.
- Can I ask for a copy of the handover notes?
- Yes: these are your health records, you have a right of access, and we hand over a copy on simple request.
- What happens when my prescription expires?
- We warn you before expiry and request renewal, so that care is never interrupted.
Terms explained
- Handover notes
- The written record of a visit: what was done, what was observed, what must be watched. The shared memory of the care episode.
- MSSanté
- The French secure health messaging system, used to exchange health data between professionals, and with patients, outside ordinary email.
- Prescription
- A doctor's written order stating the procedure, frequency and duration. Without it, nursing care cannot be delivered or reimbursed, apart from procedures allowed in direct access.
- Mon espace santé
- The patient's national digital health record, including a shared medical file and secure messaging. The patient controls who can access it.
Official sources
What we write is based on public references you can check for yourself.
- Advertising and communication: good-practice reminderOrdre national des infirmiers
- Nursing care assessment (BSI): the dedicated serviceAssurance Maladie (ameli.fr)
This page is informational and replaces neither a medical consultation nor a prescription.