As part of a series of sponsored podcasts, we meet Livi’s Lead GP Dr Bryony Henderson to discuss the dynamics of virtual consultations and life as a Livi GP. Bryony talks us through her own experiences; her background as a GP Partner and subsequent transition to virtual working, why she feels the flexibility it affords has made such a profound difference to managing her own workload and meeting patient needs, how her schedule of work runs in practice and the support networks which are available within Livi’s network, and why the numbers of healthcare staff opting to join the Livi revolution is increasing.  

Introduction (9 secs)

Livi GPs in numbers (1 min 11 secs)

An offer of flexible working (1 min 39 secs)

Is there a typical route in for Livi GPs? (2 mins 20 secs)

How does a shift with Livi run in practice? (3 mins 6 secs)

How are patients referred and what’s the appointment process? (3 mins 56 secs)

Sacrificing continuity of care? (5 mins 35 secs)

Looking after the wellbeing of a virtual GP cohort (6 mins 55 secs)

What are the most important factors when it comes to maintaining wellbeing? (8 mins 27 secs)

Measuring job satisfaction (9 mins 8 secs)

Contracted appointment schedules (9 mins 44 secs)

Patient reaction (10 mins 26 secs)

Managing onwards referrals, where face to face consultation is required (11 mins 21 secs)

How do we change current public perception where demand for face-to-face appointments is concerned? (12 mins)

What’s next for Livi? (13 mins 56 secs)

Is there an impact on GP numbers across the board? (14 mins 27 secs)

Working patterns as a virtual GP (15mins 8 secs)

Where can I get more information? (15 mins 51 secs)

Opportunities for other staffing groups (6 mins 24 secs)

To find out more information about Livi, their services and how to get in touch, check out their website here.

In this month’s Practice Index sponsored Practice Manager panel, Nicola, Robyn, and Ben turn their attentions to planning for, funding, and staffing the winter months ahead. With the recent NHS England announcement of a Primary Care funding package, the group discuss the parameters of this, how the funding model has been set out and how we might utilise the allocated monies to best effect, and also discuss the wider ramifications such as the influence of the media, policy makers and public perception on managing and meeting demand during a time when pressure is at its highest and staffing levels remain at the lowest they have ever been.

Introduction (9 secs)

Will NHS England’s package of support be of benefit this year? Nicola’s view (35 secs)

Robyn’s initial thoughts (1 min 44 secs)

Flexibility of funding? (2 mins 14 secs)

System development funding and framework – the application process from a Practice Manager perspective (3 mins 16 secs)

Establishment of two-way communication (5 mins 59 secs)

Urgent care demand and the impact on general practice workload (7 mins 36 secs)

A change in central communications (8 mins 52 secs)

Issues of consistency when it comes to messaging (11 mins 32 secs)

Impact on staffing and recruitment (12 mins 47 secs)

‘Sexing up’ Primary Care (14 mins 37 secs)

What can practices do to make the most of the winter funding pot? (16 mins 3 secs)

Applying flexibility in funding local needs (17 mins 38 secs)

A creative and community-based approach (18 mins 34 secs)

“Seeking forgiveness, rather than permission” (19 mins 24 secs)

For all enquiries about the Practice Index / Ockham podcast, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here

In the latest of our podcast episodes sponsored by Livi, we meet GPs Nicole Atkinson and Nicola Decker, who have similarly considerable experience of working in leadership roles, both within the outgoing Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), and now within the newer Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), and critically, in supporting and managing the transition within their own local areas. They offer Ben their thoughts on where the main challenges may lie, the lessons they have learned whilst on their own, respective journeys, where we should be focusing our energies and priorities right now, and why they feel general practice (and primary care as a whole) has what it takes to succeed in a wider and a possibly less level playing field.

Intro (9 secs)

Meeting Nicola Decker (1 min 4 secs)

Nicole’s remit and experience (2 mins 5 secs)

…and her take on what ICSs are and how she feels they differ from CCGs (2 mins 45 secs)

Nicola’s views on the newer models of care (4 mins 12 secs)

Organisation of resources, having influence and establishment of a voice within a larger system (5 mins 25 secs)

How do we enable general practice to be an effective partner? (7 mins 40 secs)

The Primary Care Collaborative….at place or system level? (9 mins 53 secs)

Consideration of the task, the ask and the purpose (10 mins 48 secs)

How does Primary Care take ownership and hold their influence across the system? (11 mins 20 secs)

Managing the transition and ensuring that we can be as proactive as possible (13 mins 49 secs)

Has there ever been a better time for general practice to collaborate effectively? (15 mins 7 secs)

Is this a time limited opportunity? (17 mins 27 secs)

Are we united by a shared challenge? (18 mins 10 secs)

Working out where to start (19 mins 45 secs)

A change of mindset and working across boundaries (20 mins 35 secs)

A final word from Nicola (22 mins 46 secs)

To find out more information about Livi, their services and how to get in touch, check out their website here.

As chair of the Fuller Report workstream focused on data, population health management, demand/capacity, risk stratification and health inequalities, GP Partner and Clinical Chair of the Greater Peterborough Network, Dr Neil Modha is well placed to offer further insight into the objectives and outcomes of the report, and what it really means for the general practice of the future. Fortunately, Ben has managed to grab 23 minutes of Neil’s time to discuss some of the key takeaways such as; when and how do we embed some of the report’s recommendations, how do we adapt these to ensure we are able to meet local needs, how do these fit within the new backdrop of integrated care, and what are the expectations of primary care now, and in the future?

Introduction (9 secs)

Neil’s take on the final version of the Fuller Report (30 secs)

How mindful of the report are we in general practice right now? (1 min 24 secs)

A muted reaction? (2 mins 23 secs)

What are the key implications of the report? (3 mins 39 secs)

Access and urgent care (4 mins 28 secs)

Where does responsibility sit for meeting and managing the urgent care demand? (6 mins 30 secs)

Are we moving towards a ‘hub’ style of working practice? (8 mins 19 secs)

Why we should be proactive in shaping the future, and in embedding the recommendations within the report (10 mins)

Integrated Neighbourhood Teams; the end of the road for PCNs? (10 mins 52 secs)

Where does general practice sit in terms of a leadership perspective (13 mins 42 secs)

Funding new models of care (15 mins 21 secs)

Thoughts on maintaining influence within a wider context (17 mins 50 secs)

Neil’s advice for networks and practices on ensuring preparedness (19 mins 45 secs)

We last spoke with GP Dr Paul Bennett way back in December 2019 BC (before Covid) when his Porchester based surgery was in the process of trialling new and innovative ways of meeting and managing patient demand. Fast forward to almost three years later; post pandemic, within a rapidly evolving general practice landscape, and with the pressure to provide more appointments at an all-time high, Paul and his team have had to adapt and improve their previous strategies, to offset the needs of their patient population against decreasing numbers of medical professionals. In this week’s podcast instalment, Paul talks Ben through the new systems they have embedded to manage the challenge of capacity and demand, and why he feels that in Porchester, they are able to offer a safer, more streamlined, and equitable service.

Introduction (10 secs)

What’s been happening since we last spoke to Paul? (47 secs)

How does the ‘pod’ system work? (2 mins 5 secs)

The role of the Care Navigator (2 mins 25 secs)

eConsult platforms and eForm creation (2 mins 44 secs)

Breaking down the two components of demand (3 mins 34 secs)

Managing patient access (4 mins 38 secs)

Allocation of a designated pod team (5 mins 30 secs)

Management of those requiring urgent treatment (6 mins 5 secs)

Transferring patients from routine to urgent care pathways (8 mins 22 secs)

The red flag form (9 mins 19 secs)

Forms for more specific conditions and concerns (10 mins 4 secs)

Aligning the process within the wider network (11 mins 40 secs)

Managing triage, decision-making and proactively signposting patients (12 mins 25 secs)

Development of the case managers and the pod team skill mix (13 mins 9 secs)

Positive impacts and lessons learned (14 mins 44 secs)

Measuring outcomes (15 mins 53 secs)

What have been the main issues or problems? (16 mins 26 secs)

Reaction from the doctors to newer ways of working (17 mins 18 secs)

Next steps (19 mins 9 secs)

Finding out more and getting in touch (20 mins 37 secs)

If you’d like to find out more about the systems in place at Westlands Medical Centre, Paul’s is contactable here.