There have been some notable developments in the NHS pensions world since we last caught up with expert Paul Gordon in the spring of 2020. Luckily, Paul is back to bring us up to speed and to explain in simple terms where things have changed, the impact of a highly publicised age discrimination case, what the changes mean in practice for GPs and primary care staff on the ground, the key considerations for individuals based on their circumstances and most importantly, making sure those eligible are able to access the annual allowance related government endorsed compensation scheme, the deadline for this and how to determine eligibility. Listen now for a full overview of all the crucial pensions need to knows, and where to go to find out more.
Introduction (9 secs)
The main developments and changes, in summary (40 secs)
The McCloud judgement (1 min 46 secs)
Th resulting impact of the age discrimination case findings (2 mins 8 secs)
A choice of two sets of benefits (3 mins 46 secs)
Why would I opt into the newer scheme? (5 mins 30 secs)
Remaining in the ‘original’ scheme (6 mins 39 secs)
Determining retirement age and associated options at that time (9 mins 8 secs)
Retirement age and the McCloud judgement (10 mins 42 secs)
Transition to the new scheme and what this means in real terms (13 mins)
Being mindful of the annual allowance… (14 mins 28 secs)
Annual allowance tax charges (16 mins 6 secs)
Claiming compensation for annual allowance excess tax charges (17 mins 22 secs)
Who is eligible for compensation? (18 mins 31 secs)
‘The remedy period’ and what this means for individual contributions, allowances & benefits (19 mins 19 secs)
Outlining the key differences between old and new pension schemes (20 mins 16 secs)
What employers should be aware of (21 mins 18 secs)
Finding out more (22 mins 54 secs)
To request the last 7 years’ worth of annual allowance growth figures, please ring NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBA) on 0300 330 1346.
The deadline for compensation claims relating to the 19/20 tax year and the annual allowance tax charge growth and excess payments is 11 February 2022. Claimants will need to complete a Scheme Pays Election form (available via Primary Care Support England) and a compensation form. Further information can be found here.
The times they are a-changin’ and as we enter the third year since the formation of primary care networks (PCNs), Ben is joined by podcast regular and primary care management guru Tara Humphrey to take stock of the current situation in general practice. Are we still surviving, rather than thriving? What gains have been made over the last 28 months? Where do the pressures lie and where are the incumbent Clinical Directors up to in their thinking of where to go next in taking their networks forward and/or handing on responsibility to a new leader? Have we made any progress in making sure the work of individual practices intertwines with network goals and our overall vision? Do we still have an overall vision? All this and more in this week’s fascinating episode…
Introduction (9 secs)
An update from Tara (26 secs)
What are the key challenges in the PCN world currently? (1 min 23 secs)
The pressure of the new delivery requirements (1 min 58 secs)
How a PCN Manager can help (4 mins)
The link between PCN Manager and ARRS staff (5 mins 3 secs)
Managing capacity and keeping up (5 mins 44 secs)
Recent BMA reaction and the impact of this on the ground (6 mins 51 secs)
Bridging the gap between practices and PCN (7 mins 43 secs)
Taking stock at this point in the PCN journey (9 mins 55 secs)
Face to face versus virtual working (11 mins 10 secs)
Next steps into the future (11 mins 49 secs)
Passing on the baton of Clinical Directorship (13 mins 4 secs)
Balancing hierarchical structure (13 mins 57 secs)
Re-establishment of the PCN purpose and why this is so important (15 mins 43 secs)
Getting in touch (17 mins 37 secs)
To connect with Tara and to access all the available resources on offer from THC Primary Care, do check out:
The THC Primary Care website
The Business of Healthcare Podcast to get the latest insights into business and management behind the scenes in primary care.
Tara’s Twitter and LinkedIn accounts
Applications for the second round of the incredibly popular New to General Practice Partnership training programme are open! If you are considering stepping into partnership, or are a newly appointed GP partner, the Ockham Health / THC Primary Care / McCartney Health Associates training course is scheduled to begin again in February 2022. If you would like to know more, or you would like to sign up, please get in touch with Ben at ben@ockham.healthcare
On her almost first anniversary of working in primary care, Nusrat Kausar joins Ben on the podcast this week to discuss the parameters of her role as a dietitian specialising in supporting pre-diabetic patients and those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes within primary care. Based in a West Yorkshire PCN, Nusrat fills us in on her experiences so far; how her previous roles have influenced her journey into general practice, the value that dietitians can add in terms of supporting the PCN and her patients, her top tips for attracting, keeping and getting the most from a good dietitian, how dietitians can blend in seamlessly with existing staff (and the more newly established additional roles teams) and turning to the future, how she foresees the role developing even further.
Introduction (1 min 10 secs)
Designing a job description (1 min 56 secs)
Nusrat’s background as a dietitian (2 mins 40 secs)
Making the move into primary care (3 mins 29 secs)
What does a day in the life of a dietitian look like? (4 mins 6 secs)
The referral process and caseload (4 mins 37 secs)
PCN demographic and how each practice works within the system (5 mins 47 secs)
Maximising service engagement (6 mins 17 secs)
Monitoring the impact so far (7 mins 28 secs)
How is the service making a difference to patients? (8 mins 26 secs)
Working alongside other ARRS team members (9 mins 24 secs)
Encouraging a sense of belonging (10 mins 12 secs)
Line management and clinical supervision (11 mins 21 secs)
How can PCNs make the best use of their dietitian? (12 mins 3 secs)
Is a more flexible approach to role design better? (13 mins 28 secs)
Nusrat’s top tips for recruiting and retaining a dietitian (15 mins 9 secs)
Advice for dietitians who are considering working in general practice (16 mins 18 secs)
Looking ahead: How will the role develop going forwards? (17 mins 44 secs)
Recommended resources (19 mins 11 secs)
Applications for the second round of the incredibly popular New to General Practice Partnership training programme are now open! If you are considering stepping into partnership, or are a newly appointed GP partner, our training course scheduled to begin again in February 2022, in collaboration with McCartney Health Associates and THC Primary Care, might just be for you. If you’d like to know more, or if you’re already sold and keen to sign up, please get in touch with Ben at ben@ockham.healthcare
This week heralds the return of inspirational GP Dr Farzana Hussain, who runs The Project Surgery in Plaistow, east London, is Clinical Director of her local PCN and 2019’s GP of the Year, amongst other key roles where she champions innovation and quality improvement in primary care. Farzana is back to share her thoughts on the last year in her role as Clinical Director and what comes next for her Newham PCN. From the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) rollout, to going back to basics and defining local objectives, readying teams, and staff, for the move towards integrated care and the associated shift in her priorities, leading on an emotive and truly rewarding local project and attempting to redress the health inequalities balance, the pace of work continues to be unrelenting and 2022 looks set to be equally challenging. Listen here as Ben takes time to explore Farzana’s hopes, frustrations, achievements and aims in our latest podcast episode.
Introduction (10 secs)
An overview of the last year (30 secs)
The challenges of the ARRS (1 min 47 secs)
Why shared purpose is so important (2 mins 53 secs)
Preparing for integrated care systems (4 mins 24 secs)
Farzana’s view on the change in PCN deliverables (5 mins 19 secs)
Identifying priority areas (7 mins 12 secs)
Juggling practice and PCN priorities (8 mins 26 secs)
The Newham knife crime project (11 mins 24 secs)
The role of the Youth Link Worker and partnering with local community groups (13 mins 36 secs)
Levelling up the health inequalities imbalance (14 mins 54 secs)
What’s next for Farzana? (15 mins 40 secs)
Feeling the benefit of the additional roles (17 mins 3 secs)
Can we take control of the ICS agenda? (19 mins 8 secs)
“Dr Gandalf”, GP, eGPlearning podblast founder, and Ockham podcast favourite, is back with another fascinating insight into his most recent year as Clinical Director for Nottingham City East PCN. In this third instalment of his journey, Gandhi and Ben discuss the highlights of recent times, including the recruitment and expansion of a safeguarding care coordination service, how Nottingham East have embedded wider ARRS staff, the impact of the updated GP contracts within the network and on the patient population, preparations for the new world of integrated care in 2022 and what’s next on the agenda for Gandhi as he reflects on his achievements to date and why he remains as passionate as ever about his role.
Introduction (10 secs)
On how life is, right now (37 secs)
Practice vs PCN priorities (1 min 4 secs)
Maintaining individual identities within a wider network (2 mins 11 secs)
The Safeguarding Care Coordinator (3 mins 20 secs)
Recruitment of other additional roles (4 mins 23 secs)
Exploring the relationship between additional roles staff and the wider workforce (5 mins 39 secs)
Accommodating and integrating the ARRS teams (7 mins 16 secs)
The challenges presented by the new primary care contracts (7 mins 58 secs)
Gandhi’s view of the health inequalities risk presented by existing contractual targets (9 mins 38 secs)
How can we respond to contractual targets in practice? (10 mins 46 secs)
Reaction to the recent NHSE publication (12 mins)
Preparations for Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) (14 mins 52 secs)
Where does the Clinical Director post sit in context with the LMCs and the development of the ICSs? (16 mins 43 secs)
Looking ahead… (17 mins 49 secs)
The best bits of clinical directorship (19 mins 25 secs)
The link to the eGPlearning YouTube channel is here