One of the characteristics of modern life is that we get so caught up in endless activity, that we never really think about where we are going, and what it is all for. Sometimes that’s because we feel we are too busy just keeping afloat, but even when things are going well, it seems self … Read more
Losing an experienced team member is a catastrophe. But how do you keep them when you can’t just throw money at the problem? Building a culture where your team feels they belong and that they have a say in their work is critical. And the most effective way you can do this is to make … Read more
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
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
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
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
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