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The General Practice Podcast

Ben Gowland explores new ways of working in general practice. He talks to those making changes happen, gets underneath what they did, how they managed to do it, and the challenges they faced along the way.
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Now displaying: May, 2021
May 30, 2021

It’s a podcast with a difference this week! Ben joins forces with Tara Humphrey of THC Primary Care to share the highlights of their recent webinar focusing on the Impact and Investment Fund, introduced very recently as part of the GP and Primary Care Network Contract Settlement. Within the session, Ben and Tara attempt to unpick what the funding means in practice, what value it can add and where the pitfalls may lie alongside how to incorporate the funding into existing financial models and PCN plans, and where the IIF fits within the wider primary care framework. Are the additional monies going to be of benefit or is it simply another burden to manage at a time when general practice is already stretched to the limit?

Welcome and intro from Tara (27 secs)

Why a webinar on the impact and investment fund? (48 secs)

Hello from Ben (1 min 55 secs)

Lessons learned from round 1 (1 min 37 secs)

Network versus practice approach (3 mins 59 secs)

Leveraging social prescribing referrals and the contribution of the ARRS teams (5 mins 52 secs)

Advice to managers and clinical leaders on leading the IIF approach (6 mins 55 secs)

Can the IIF play a useful part in realising the network vision? (9 mins 37 secs)

Ben’s initial thoughts on the updated guidance (10 mins 28 secs)

Opting out (11 mins 14 secs)

Summing up the session so far (12 mins 54 secs)

How might ICSs influence the IIF? (13 mins 54 secs)

The importance of robust financial planning (15 mins 43 secs)

What can the IIF achieve within the 5-year GP contract settlement period? (16 mins 34 secs)

Balancing workforce issues alongside workload pressures (18 mins)

Budgeting for moving QOF targets (19 mins 8 secs)

Good, better, and best financial modelling (20 mins 18 secs)

Conclusions (21 mins 46 secs)

 

To connect with Tara and to access all the resources available on offer from THC Primary Care check out:

THC Primary Care’s wealth of information on PCN Managers starts here

Listen to The Business of Healthcare Podcast to get the latest insights into business and management behind the scenes in primary care.

Follow Tara on Twitter and on Linkedin

 

May 23, 2021

After the accompaniment of “that” letter from NHS England alongside the most recent Standard Operating Procedure, general practice has reacted. Anger, frustration, sadness, shock, and depression are all words permeating through the primary care world at the moment. With workload and demand at an all-time high and staffing numbers stagnating or in decline across many areas, and a (so far, highly successful) vaccination programme to deliver, the general feeling is that this is a slap in the face from central government and the mainstream media alike. There has also been a direct (and much darker) impact on the ground with cases of abuse from patients directed at staff on the rise. Against this depressing backdrop, our joint Practice Index, Practice Manager panel return and are joined by GP and Clinical Director Dr Hussain Gandhi, to reflect on the detail of the letter, the implications of it, the impact on digital evolution in primary care, workload, capacity, patient education and most importantly, how we move forward from here.

Introductions (45 secs)

Nicola’s reaction the letter (1 min 19 secs)

From Robyn’s perspective (2 mins 2 secs)

Gandhi’s view (2 mins 46 secs)

Why was the letter issued? (3 mins 53 secs)

Long term issues with access (4 mins 59 secs)

Diverting attention from the bigger, more long-term challenges (5 mins 38 secs)

The impact on staffing capacity (and turnover) (5 mins 56 secs)

Crunching the staffing numbers (6 mins 36 secs)

Effect on Whole Time Equivalents (WTE) and clinical sessions (7 mins 29 secs)

Can the additional roles make a positive difference? (8 mins 36 secs)

Patient education is key (9 mins 29 secs)

Digital evolution (10 mins 13 secs)

Signposting patients to the most appropriate care provider (11 mins 20 secs)

What happens now re. remote consultations? (12 mins 35 secs)

Online consultations; help or hindrance when considering total demand (14 mins 29 secs)

Balancing telephone, online and face to face consults (16 mins 20 secs)

Why is demand at an all-time high? (17 mins 16 secs)

Patient appreciation and understanding (19 mins 19 secs)

The impact of the NHSE letter for practices on the ground (19 mins 57 secs)

How do we respond? (22 mins 12 secs)

The Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM) view (22 mins 45 secs)

Final thoughts from Gandhi (23 mins 26 secs)

 

The IGPM are currently running a campaign to raise awareness of the abuse suffered by general practice staff right now. View and promote here: (short clip) and (long clip)   

 

May 16, 2021

In the first of a series of podcasts shining a spotlight on the ARRS new roles and those working in them, Ben is joined by Kosiwa Lokosu, an experienced Senior Occupational Therapist who has recently taken up her first post in primary care. Here, Kosiwa shares a fascinating and inspirational insight into her life as an OT before general practice, the recruitment process from her perspective, the integration of her team within the wider PCN, her work and her patients, and her advice for those considering setting up an OT service in their own areas (and the key considerations for this).

Introduction (43 secs)

What led Kosiwa towards becoming an OT? (53 secs)

Kosiwa’s experiences to date (1 min 38 secs)

Starting in general practice (3 mins 7 secs)

PCN demographic (4 mins 37 secs)

Team structure (5 mins 34 secs)

Base and space (6 mins 26 secs)

Working across practices and referrals in (7 mins 17 secs)

Creation of a referral criteria (8 mins 40 secs)

Conclusion of treatment (9 mins 14 secs)

Referral quality and appropriateness (10 mins 1 sec)

OT caseload and division of time (11 mins 18 secs)

Clinical supervision budget (13 mins 3 secs)

Progressing the service (13 mins 27 secs)

Patient feedback (15 mins 3 secs)

A positive impact on general practice (16 mins 9 secs)

Linking with community mental health services (17 mins)

Advice for those who are considering employing an OT (17 mins 18 secs)

The pros of a multi-disciplinary model (18 mins 41 secs)

Getting in touch (19 mins 37 secs)

 

To get in touch with Kosiwa, you can email her here or follow her on Twitter

Catch up with Kosiwa’s blog here

May 9, 2021

Episode 255 - Podcast – Tara Humphrey – What makes a perfect PCN Manager?

Although the role of PCN Manager is growing in importance, alongside the evolution of PCNs, there is still confusion and misconception about where a manager fits and what they can bring to the primary care table. Ben is joined this week by podcast veteran and management guru Tara Humphrey of THC Primary Care to dispel the myths and to explain precisely how and why a manager can be of benefit. What they can do to support the work of the Clinical Director and the wider management team in facing down some of the challenges, how they can remove pressure from existing staff, what makes a perfect PCN Manager, how to find them - and if you’re lucky enough to already have a manager in post, where resources and information can be found to support them in continuing to thrive.

 

Introduction (39 secs)

What first sparked Tara’s interest in PCN management? (55 secs)

What’s the general practice perception of PCN Managers right now? (1 min 49 secs)

Tackling the workload (3 mins 9 secs)

What should the person spec for a PCN Manager look like? (4 mins 6 secs)

Is an NHS background necessarily required? (4 mins 36 secs)

How about experience in primary care specifically? (5 mins 49 secs)

Practice Managers for PCN Manager (6 mins 39 secs)

Combining practice management with network management (7 mins 17 secs)

Where should we target recruitment of PCN Managers? (7 mins 41 secs)

The key challenges right now (8 mins 36 secs)

Learning the role and the remit it encompasses (9 mins 22 secs)

Understanding of PCN vision and objectives (10 mins 34 secs)

What’s on offer to a PCN Manager when the network is still developing? (11 mins 41 secs)

Dealing with disparate practices (12 mins 3 secs)

Why the Practice Manager and PCN Manager relationship is key (13 mins 53 secs)

Where a PCN Manager sits within the network hierarchy (14 mins 30 secs)

Supporting new ARRS team members (15 mins 24 secs)

A summary of the key challenges a PCN Manager might face when it comes to the ARRS (17 mins 8 secs)

How Tara and her team can help (18 mins 55 secs)

What’s available on THC Primary Care and signing up for the PCN Manager Masterclass  (19 mins 57 secs)

 

To connect with Tara and to access all the resources available on offer from THC Primary Care check out:

THC Primary Care’s wealth of information on PCN Managers,  starting here

Sign up to the THC Primary Care PCN Manager Masterclass here

Listen to The Business of Healthcare Podcast to get the latest insights into business and management behind the scenes in primary care.

Follow Tara on Twitter and on Linkedin

May 2, 2021

Dem Dx is a CE certified artificial intelligence clinical reasoning platform which has been designed and set up to support frontline healthcare professionals diagnose, investigate, and make care recommendations at the first point of contact. What makes it a little different though is that the aim is to provide an information resource which aids and empowers staff in supporting roles to triage and diagnose, relieving some of the burden on medics. How does it work in practice though? And can it really alleviate pressure on GPs, particularly when it comes to supporting the new, additional roles workforce? Today’s podcast features Dr Lorin Gresser, Dem Dx’s CEO and founder, who takes us on the Dem Dx journey from the beginning; from setup and capture of certified pathways (and approved guidance) to preserve safe clinical decision making, why it is a tool which focuses on diagnosis rather than ongoing management, where they have a presence currently (and where primary care comes in) - and how staff in primary care access and benefit from this multi-award-winning platform.

 

Introduction (40 secs)

All about Lorin (53 secs)

When was Dem Dx born? (1 min 54 secs)

Where is Dem Dx operational now? (3 mins 3 secs)

How the platform works in practice (4 mins 28 secs)

What are the challenges for Dem Dx? (5 mins 42 secs)

A tool with a focus on supporting staff, rather than patients, in the first instance (6 mins 14 secs)

Helping primary care staff in supporting roles to free up GP time (7 mins 40 secs)

The benefits when it comes to the additional roles (9 mins 1 sec)

Focusing on diagnosis, rather than ongoing management (9 mins 19 secs)

Remote working (10 mins 3 secs)

Ongoing decision support or simply upskilling staff as they go? (10 mins 56 secs)

Funding and procurement (12 mins 5 secs)

Dem Dx’s Rwanda project (14 mins 25 secs)

Finding out more and getting in touch (16 mins 13 secs)

 

The Dem Dx website can be found here

For all enquiries, please contact Lorin Gresser via email or via LinkedIn

It’s also the last chance to sign up for The Resilient Team Academy offer! Head over to the Resilient Team Academy website which contains information on the current, discounted offer and how to apply.

 

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