We have been complaining to the Government about GP workload for over a decade and nothing has changed. Maybe it’s about time we sorted it out ourselves. Yes, they brought in PCNs with much fanfare and the additional roles had quite a lot of funding. But they wouldn’t let us spend the money on what … Read more
Integrated Care Systems are being hailed as the future of Primary Care. But are they doomed to be yet another forgotten reorganisation like FHSAs, PCTs and CCGs? Politicians seem to give very fixed prescriptions about how best to improve the health of our nation. They always talk warmly about how they appreciate front line staff … Read more
It is easy to lead during good times. All you need to do is listen to your team and not do anything stupid. Leading in hard times is completely different. First you need to realise that times are hard This can be tricky because to begin with things can look to be fine, while underneath … Read more
Continuity and having your own GP is always mentioned in plans for General Practice and always noted as something patients value. But it is treated as an aspiration we hope for, not an essential. But what if continuity is actually a tool that improves our effectiveness way more than it costs? What if neglecting it … Read more
Some people are saying that GPs would be better off as a salaried service, being employed by hospital trusts or private contractors. It feels like swimming against the tide to stay with the current GMS contract even though that gives us stability and has to be nationally negotiated. Rather than just disagreeing I want to … Read more
We all get too much email. And we imagine that one day we will get organised, delete the rubbish and get control. But sadly this is a myth. There isn’t enough time to read all the useful things. We fear missing some critical gem of knowledge if we don’t read everything. But that is based on the … Read more
The problem with most Team Building activities is that they aren’t relevant, they feel fake and they make people uncomfortable. And your team don’t enjoy them and think they are a waste of time. So what can you do that will be genuinely useful and not make people want to run a mile. Ask the important … Read more
We’ve all lived through utterly awful “team building” experiences – like building towers out of straws or embarrassing role playing games. So much so that for most people “team building” makes their blood run cold. But we all work in teams so making our teams function better is important. The question is, what actually works to … Read more
The goal is not to maximise profits at any cost. The goal is to build a strong sustainable business. Long-term profits will automatically flow from this. Simply looking at income to chase and expenditure to cut misses the point. You need to work out how to increase your capacity to provide care within your resources. … Read more
GP accounts are fairly straighforward to read once you get to know your way around them and they will help you understand how we make the money we pay ourselves. Talking to recently qualified GPs it is not something which is well taught so here is a simple guide of what things are and what … Read more