In the latest episode of our monthly Practice Index podcast series, regular panel members Practice Managers Robyn Clark and Nicola Davies are joined by Ilford-based GP Principal and Partner Dr Naj Seedat. The trio, alongside our very own Ben Gowland, discuss the increasingly negative PR campaign which general practice has fallen victim to within the press, social media outlets and amongst frustrated patient communities. Can the tide be turned and if so, how? Do extraordinary measures need to be put in place to protect practice staff from the very real threats of harm and in some cases, almost daily incidences of verbal abuse? Can we really find a way to tackle the surge in demand for face-to-face appointments whilst Covid is of continuing concern, and whilst we are dealing with the biggest staffing crisis we may have ever known? With winter approaching, the future certainly looks bleak in primary care, but the panel have their own ideas about how we might be able to face down the criticism, win hearts and minds and most importantly, ensure we are looking after ourselves in the process.

Introductions (30 secs)

All about Naj (50 secs)

How is life on the general practice front line right now? (1 min 16 secs)

Robyn’s perspective (2 mins 19 secs)

Naj’s experiences of the current situation (3 mins 42 secs)

The access conundrum (4 mins 13 secs)

Meeting the demand for face-to-face consultations in the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic (5 mins 57 secs)

The workforce crisis (7 mins 25 secs)

Celebrating success (8 mins 43 secs)

Discussing the lack of support centrally – and from the top (10 mins 31 secs)

Media, public opinion, and the voices of negativity (11 mins 45 secs)

Safeguarding general practice staff from the threat of abuse (13 mins 17 secs)

Enforcing a zero-tolerance policy (16 mins 11 secs)

What can be done to turn the tide? (17 mins 35 secs)

Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM) stance (19 mins 30 secs)

Practice Index’s website can be found here

For more information and to sign up to become a member of the IGPM, please find the website here

For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here

Dr Dustyn Saint is a GP with a special interest in informatics, data analytics and in making life a little easier for those working under tremendous pressure in primary care. Following the fallout from the worldwide pandemic, he and his team at Primary Care IT, the organisation Dustyn and his colleague founded to share, evolve, and grow the tools and resources already embedded within their own, respective practices, jumped into action, to see what they could refine and improve – and what might be needed to support primary care staff before, during and beyond the Covid outbreak. Amongst the multitude of Covid templates and tools, the introduction of a Covid ‘hub’ space and the development of some high spec remote consultation tech, they have also introduced a data analytics tool, to assist general practice leaders in not only staying on top of their financial targets and income streams, but enabling more proactive and strategic decision-making, as a result of presenting a more detailed insight into their income patterns, and those of others. Here, Dustyn touches on the Primary Care IT journey since Covid hit, and why he believes the OneAnalytics tool can really make a difference.

Introduction (19 secs)

Primary Care IT (26 secs)

Dustyn’s journey (the link to his first Ockham podcast episode) (1 min 8 secs)

The impact of Covid on the primary care digital agenda (1 min 19 secs)

Covid templates and tools on offer (1 min 51 secs)

The Covid Hub (2 mins 25 secs)

Remote consultations and long-term condition reviews (3 mins 33 secs)

The practice income data analytics tool (4 mins 41 secs)

Where does the income data originate from, and can we access this too? (6 mins 30 secs)

How up to date is this data? (7 mins 5 secs)

A how-to of using the tool (7 mins 48 secs)

Initial conclusions and findings (8 mins 36 secs)

Preparing for integrated care (11 mins)

Early indicators and planning ahead (12 mins 9 secs)

Feedback from those on the ground (13 mins 4 secs)

Which users should have access to the tool? (14 mins 2 secs)

What’s the impact of the tool on overall financial management? (15 mins 8 secs)

Webinar guidance (17 mins 50 secs)

What’s next? (18 mins 10 secs)

Getting in touch (18 mins 37 secs)

More information can be found on the Primary Care IT website

If you’d like to get in touch with Dustyn and his team at Primary Care IT, all the available contact points can be found here

GP Dr Neil Modha returns to the Ockham sofa this week to discuss the topic of health inequalities, something which is particularly close to his heart on account of the vulnerable communities which make up the majority of his Thistlemoor practice in Peterborough’s patient population. From QOF measures to Covid vaccination numbers, Neil explains why the current funding model and the systems in place are not always supportive of those working their hardest to meet the needs of those most in need but also, with the introduction of integrated care systems and some close liaison with NHS England, why there is reason to be optimistic going forwards.

Introduction (36 secs)

The population served by Neil’s practice (50 secs)

How the Thistlemoor team are meeting the needs of vulnerable patient groups (1 min 24 secs)

Covid vaccinations and why measured targets are not always representative of efforts on the ground (2 mins 23 secs)

Weighted populations (5 mins 5 secs)

The Carr-Hill formula and how it works in practice (6 mins 1 sec)

Other GP contract pressures (7 mins 2 secs)

Challenges of QOF and ‘absolute’ target setting (8 mins 49 secs)

Increasing the inequality gap (9 mins 40 secs)

The digital impact (11 mins 25 secs)

Barriers to tech (12 mins 42 secs)

What is the best way forward? (14 mins 5 secs)

Can change happen with the introduction of integrated care systems? (16 mins 44 secs)

The appetite for change within the centralised bodies (18 mins 41 secs)

Optimism for the future (20 mins 25 secs)

Funding analysis– can you help?! (21 mins 19 secs)

The episode Ben refers to, where Neil introduces us to Thistlemoor’s innovative open access model, can be found here

If you can assist with some funding analysis, Ben can put you in touch with Neil

For too long general practice nursing has been in crisis with high rates of staff turnover, a lack of opportunity to progress - or to seek training and development to progress, coupled with nursing confidence in the system at an all time low and stress levels at an all-time high. As a result, the ten-point action plan for general practice nursing was implemented with the aim of developing confidence, capability, and capacity across primary care nursing. As Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership’s training hub lead, Mel Lamb has been instrumental in embedding the ten-point plan principles in her area; supporting, and promoting the work of her fellow nurses, and providing encouragement to develop their skills further and ultimately, to progress with confidence.  In this week’s episode, she talks Ben through her role, the legacy she hopes that the ten-point plan can leave for both newly qualified nurses and those already in post and most importantly, if the work Mel and her colleagues are doing can  enable a brighter future for general practice nursing, going forwards.

Introduction (37 secs)

Mel’s role as a training hub lead (56 secs)

Implementation of the 10-point action plan for general practice nursing (1 min 48 secs)

Mel’s first impressions (2 mins 31 secs)

Is there a crisis in general practice nursing and can this be overcome? (4 mins 5 secs)

Training and development opportunities on offer to nurses right now (5 mins 11 secs)

Impact on morale and improving recruitment and retention (7 mins 54 secs)

Establishing a support network (9 mins 4 secs)

The ‘threat’ of the additional roles (11 mins 2 secs)

Are nurses’ skills and experiences appropriately utilised when planning for the new roles? (12 mins 48 secs)

Training hubs and what they can offer (13 mins 52 secs)

Accessing and locating local training hubs (15 mins 7 secs)

Breaking down the barriers to nurse leadership opportunities (15 mins 45 secs)

Is the 10-point plan working? (17 mins 46 secs)

Getting in touch (18 mins 52 secs)

If you’re interested in learning more about the 10-point action plan, further information can be found here

Mid and South Essex Training Hub’s Twitter contact

To get in touch via email