It was the summer of 2019 and we were in trouble. Since the retirement of our senior partner in 2017 we had been trying to find her replacement. And we had failed. We were a nice practice, with a nice income, and nice patients in a nice neighbourhood – and nobody wanted to join us. … Read more
The Pandemic has been a rough time for all practices, and the biggest problem we have had has been the crushing workload. Some have turned to Doctor First, Total Triage or AskMyGP but many surgeries still report out-of-control demand and difficulties coping. We had strong long-term relationships with our patients, and they tended not to … Read more
There is a lot of talk about promoting self care. But much of this seems to be telling patients off for seeking help with genuine problems. Or else giving them a multitude of choices and telling them it is up to them to decide what to do. But they are our registered patients, we know … Read more
Answer: There is no evidence they actually work. The Fuller Stocktake Report paints a bold vision to “to reimagine how we might deliver care in the future” and one of the key messages is Integrated Primary Care. Integrated Primary Care is a huge change and these are the questions we should be asking Our current … Read more
The idea of having a Personal Assistant (PA) to help you can seem a bit unusual for a GP although they are commonplace in other industries. Will they really help? Are they worth their salary? But valuing yourself and looking for ways to maximise the time available for what only you can do is often … Read more
We have all been in practices where everyone is working together really well. They are great places we would love to be a part of. They have a really strong culture and they do more with the same people and time than those without it (1). And that is why improving your culture is the … Read more
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