Many in general practice may be unaware of the existence of the General Practice Committee, a recognised body which exists to represent all GPs in the UK, regardless of whether they are BMA members or not, and which is split into national groups of elected members who attend and speak on behalf their local constituent GPs. This week GP, mediator and former GPC member Clare Sieber returns to the podcast to fill us in on the work of the GPC, its role and objectives, and details her experiences of the committee and why she believes radical change within primary care and how the workforce are represented is required.
Introduction (9 secs)
Getting involved with the GPC (27 secs)
How does the GPC work? (1 min 49 secs)
Links to the LMCs (3 mins 14 secs)
The role of the GPC and their main objectives (3 mins 50 secs)
The mandate for industrial action (4 mins 45 secs)
What happened after the motion for strike action was passed? (5 mins 39 secs)
Contractual negotiations with NHS England (6 mins 54 secs)
Resignation from the committee (7 mins 55 secs)
The negotiation process (8 mins 27 secs)
Attempting to bring about change (9 mins 53 secs)
Issues with maintaining open communication and transparency (11 mins 42 secs)
What’s Clare’s sense of where General Practice is right now? (12 mins 25 secs)
Moving forwards from here (13 mins 57 secs)
Ensuring effective communication within the ICS new world (14 mins 49 secs)
How does general practice come together, and stand together? (15 mins 35 secs)
To learn more about what Clare can offer as a mediator, check out her LinkedIn profile here
The General Practice Mediation website is also here
To get in touch, Clare is contactable here
To find out more information about our PCN Plus training programme, focused on supporting and skilling PCN Clinical Directors to be successful in their roles, check out our dedicated webpage or get in touch with Ben here
With stress levels continuing to soar within all areas of the healthcare system, we felt it was time to tackle things head on and really get to grips with how conflict occurs specifically within primary care, what options are available to those involved in a breakdown in relations and why a mediator can be instrumental in moving things forward. This week, Ben talks to experienced GP and mediator Dr Clare Sieber about some of the situations she has been involved with, how mediation works in practice, when it is most likely to achieve success and why communication is again so crucial to avoiding the culture of a stressful and unhealthy workplace.
Introducing Clare (56 secs)
Becoming an accredited mediator (1 min 42 secs)
The most common types of disputes (3 mins 12 secs)
The principles of mediation and the legal parameters (3 mins 54 secs)
A mediation agreement (5 mins 53 secs)
How does the process work? (6 mins 28 secs)
Reaching an agreement (8 mins 6 secs)
What does a good outcome look like? (10 mins 10 secs)
What factors determine whether a mediation is likely to be successful (or unsuccessful)? (11 mins 27 secs)
Within a situation of conflict, what other options are available, as well as mediation? (13 mins 52 secs)
Avoiding conflict in the first place (15 mins 52 secs)
Managing PCN disputes (19 mins 12 secs)
Changes to PCN leadership (21 mins 55 secs)
Finding out more / getting in touch (23 mins)
To learn more about what Clare can offer as a mediator, check out her LinkedIn profile here
The General Practice Mediation website is also here
To get in touch, Clare is contactable here
To find out more information about our PCN Plus training programme, focused on supporting and skilling PCN Clinical Directors to be successful in their roles, check out our dedicated webpage or get in touch with Ben here
In what is a dose of pure positivity for a Monday, Alvanley Family Practice’s award-winning Nursing Director and Practice Nurse Katherine Parker joins Ben on this week’s Ockham podcast to give us an insight into the work of Primary Care nurses and how they can make a difference when stepping into leadership roles. Katherine details her own journey; where she sits within the wider practice team, the empowerment she has been given oversee the clinical workload and the innovation that she and her team continue to champion in their area. She also reflects on the impact of PCNs, the pandemic and how other practices and networks can better attract, retain, recognise, and champion their own nursing workforce, so that there is greater confidence in promoting general practice nursing across the board.
Introduction (10 secs)
Katherine’s role within the practice (24 secs)
The remit of a Nursing Director (1 min 10 secs)
Alignment with Practice Manager, Kay (1 min 56 secs)
Celebrating and championing innovation (2 mins 42 secs)
Group Consultations (3 mins 33 secs)
Why group consultations work (5 mins 5 secs)
A more efficient use of time? (5 mins 53 secs)
Social prescribing and the Alvanley Health Champions (6 mins 47 secs)
What are Alvanley’s key objectives when it comes to social presciribing? (8 mins 19 secs)
Wellness Navigators (9 mins 4 secs)
The benefits of a non-medical approach (11 mins 5 secs)
Katherine’s view of PCNs, from a nursing perspective (11 mins 37 secs)
Valuing Primary Care nurses (12 mins 33 secs)
Recruitment and retention (13 mins 25 secs)
Advocacy and empowerment of nurses (14 mins 54 secs)
The impact of Covid (16 mins 28 secs)
Ninja nursing! (18 mins 38 secs)
Advice for GPs and practices (19 mins 19 secs)
Finding out more & getting in touch (20 mins 34 secs)
The Alvanley Family Practice Facebook page can be found here
A wealth of resources can be found when searching for Katherine Parker and / or Kay Keane online (other search engines are available!)
More about Katherine the Ninja Nurse here
Finally, you can make direct contact with Katherine here
In the first of our new podcast series focused on the introduction of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and the transition to yet wider scale working, we speak to distinguished GP Dr Jaweeda Idoo based at Alvanley Family Practice in Stockport. As Chair of her local GP federation, Jaweeda has played an active part in preparing for this brave new world and knows first-hand of the challenges which lie ahead. Here, she fills Ben in on the Greater Manchester journey so far, navigating the system and ensuring each element can move at the same pace, the continuing importance of the CCGs, maintaining the voices of individual practices in strengthening primary care’s wider influence, managing relationships and why continuous communication is, as always, key at this pivotal moment for general practice.
Introduction (33 secs)
Jaweeda’s role and remit (39 secs)
The relationship between federation, PCN and practices (1 mins 39 secs)
Managing tensions and maintaining authority (4 mins 44 secs)
The transition from Viaduct Federation Board to Stockport GP Board (7 mins 50 secs)
CCG involvement (10 mins 8 secs)
Building relationships across provider organisations whilst sustaining locality expertise (11 mins 25 secs)
The interface between Stockport and the Greater Manchester ICS (12 mins 32 secs)
How does an individual practice maintain a voice within a much wider system? (15 mins 26 secs)
Driving forward the general practice agenda (17 mins 4 secs)
Jaweeda’s advice for other areas when preparing for ICS go-live (18 mins 29 secs)
Finding out more (20 mins 10 secs)
Further information can be found via the medium of Twitter!
Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership
Or you can make contact directly with Jaweeda here
Our Practice Index panel return and this week, podcast regulars Robyn Clark and Nicola Davies reflect on the workforce challenges in the year ahead (and beyond) both in their own, immediate areas of influence and across primary care in general. From assessing the situation right now, to recruitment and retention planning for the future, getting the best out of staff and supporting others in the networks – and the effect of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), our pro Practice Managers share their experiences (and their expertise) and tell us why their aim is to focus on the positive in 2022.
Introductions (40 secs)
Staffing levels right now (46 secs)
The challenges ahead (1 min 16 secs)
Robyn’s strategy for 2022 (2 mins 43 secs)
Has Covid had an impact on the expectations of existing and prospective staff? (4 mins 15 secs)
Reflecting on the positive effects of the pandemic (6 mins 30 secs)
Attracting new staff (7 mins 8 secs)
A focus on the rewarding aspects of general practice employment (8 mins 59 secs)
Do workforce pressures = poor network relations? (11 mins 14 secs)
What happens when another practice is struggling? (13 mins 52 secs)
Turning the “PCN problem” on its head (16 mins 22 secs)
Workforce planning in the time of ARRS (17 mins 28 secs)
Building resilience for the future (20 mins 17 secs)
The Practice Index website is here
For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here
After a short hiatus for the festive break, the Ockham podcast is back, and kicking off 2022 with a focus on those considering and/ or beginning life as a new GP Partner. Ben, along with senior GP and podcast veteran Dr Naj Seedat, discuss the key factors when considering signing up to GP partnership, what you can expect from partnership (and dealing with the unexpected), the demands and the rewards - and what Naj has learned in his own 21-year journey. And for those feeling that they may need more formal learning, and the option to tap into a peer network of support? Ben and Naj also share their insights into our very own New to General Practice Partnership training programme which is open for enquiries and sign up now.
Introduction – and all about Naj (9 secs)
Making the decision to move into partnership (45 secs)
Early experiences (2 mins 17 secs)
The pressure of responsibility (3 mins 13 secs)
Lessons learned so far (3 mins 59 secs)
Building relationships (4 mins 55 secs)
Reflections on what might have been helpful to a new GP Partner when starting out (5 mins 30 secs)
What are the essential components for a successful partnership team? (6 mins 56 secs)
Maintaining successful communication within a practice (7 mins 44 secs)
The role of the Practice Manager in relation to the Partnership (9 mins 56 secs)
Then and now (11 mins 31 secs)
Where do new GP Partners feel support is most needed? (12 mins 29 secs)
The New to General Practice Partnership training programme; how we can help (14 mins 38 secs)
The challenges faced in both smaller and larger partnership teams (15 mins 48 secs)
Balancing leadership and management (17 mins 3 secs)
Naj’s top tips (18 mins 3 secs)
The importance of doing your due diligence (19 mins 9 secs)
To find out more about the New to General Practice Partnership training programme, our dedicated webpage is here. Alternatively, both Ben and Naj are happy to receive email queries directly.
Frailty and the introduction of a targeted service to better meet the needs of those living locally with frailty issues was high on the agenda of Townships 1 PCN Clinical Director and GP Dr Tom Holdsworth. Once CCG funding had been successfully secured, the challenge to recruit a clinical project lead was proving tricky and Tom was eventually convinced by a colleague that an Occupational Therapist, in the form of Julia Clifford, might be the answer. One year on from Julia’s appointment and following a formal evaluation of the service, both Tom and Julia join Ben to discuss all aspects of the transformative approach they are taking in Sheffield to support their frail populations. From Tom’s initial concerns about whether an OT could provide what was needed, to the service specification and what Julia can offer, working collaboratively with the other additional roles team, and the service evaluation findings, this week’s episode is another truly inspirational offering to round off the 2021 podcast series.
Introductions (26 secs)
The origins of ‘Townships 1’ PCN (38 secs)
How was the service first introduced? (58 secs)
Why a project focused on supporting frailty? (2 mins 57 secs)
The story behind recruiting an Occupational Therapist (OT) for the project role (3 mins 59 secs)
Preconceptions of what an OT could offer (4 mins 43 secs)
What attracted Julia to the role? (5 mins 8 secs)
Evaluating progress to date (5 mins 57 secs)
What are the most common scenarios and interventions? Where is Julia able to make the biggest impact? (8 mins 8 secs)
Alignment with the PCN’s ARRS strategy (9 mins 58 secs)
Making the most of the ARRS funding pot (10 mins 52 secs)
Formal service evaluation findings (12 mins 3 secs)
Are the practices feeling the impact? (13 mins 45 secs)
The risk of uncovering unmet need (14 mins 25 secs)
Continuing to progress amongst competing demands (14 mins 54 secs)
Working towards the anticipatory care specification (16 mins 46 secs)
Lessons learned from Julia’s perspective (18 mins 29 secs)
The full, published evaluation of the frailty project can be found here.
If you are interested in learning more, Tom and Julia are very happy to be contacted via their respective emails.
April 2022 marks a significant turning point in terms of finances for both employers and employees within primary care, as changes to the National Living Wage are made, the new Health and Social Care Levy comes into force and there are additional implications for those paying into the NHS Pensions Scheme. Regular podcast guest and primary care accountancy guru James Gransby returns to walk us through all the updates and what these could mean in real terms for practices and staff as individuals. James is joined by Practice Index panel members Nicola Davies and Claire Houston who reflect on the significance of the changes, how they can best prepare themselves (and their staff) as Practice Managers, and how they might mitigate the risks, and the knock on effect, on the ground.
Introductions (30 secs)
Changes to the National Living Wage (1 mins)
The Health and Social Care Levy (1 min 38 secs)
The knock-on effect on employers and employees (2 mins 32 secs)
Impact from a practice perspective (3 mins 7 secs)
Nicola’s reaction / pressure on staff (4 mins 12 secs)
Claire’s views / benchmarking performance in line with finance (6 mins 9 secs)
Implications for recruitment (7 mins 41 secs)
How can we make our vacancies more attractive to potential applicants? (8 mins 49 secs)
Pitting practice against practice (9 mins 41 secs)
Pensions changes in summary (10 mins 53 secs)
The effect of the McCloud Judgement (11 mins 40 secs)
Reviewing personal pensions choices (12 mins 13 secs)
How can we ensure everyone is aware of what’s coming? (16 mins 12 secs)
Where accountancy firms can help (18 mins 5 secs)
Will the additional costs be considered centrally? (19 mins 17 secs)
Contractual pressures (20 mins 21 secs)
Communication is key (21 mins 43 secs)
What else do we need to be aware of right now? (23 mins 17 secs)
The Practice Index benchmarking tool Claire mentioned can be found here
The Practice Index website is here
For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here
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
The dust has certainly not settled on the very recent NHS England publication on improving access for patients and supporting general practice and in the latest of our joint Practice Index / Ockham Healthcare podcast series, our ‘fab four’ react. Our now infamous panel of Practice Management extraordinaires and Institute of General Practice Management founders and directors, Nicola Davies, Robyn Clark, Kay Keane and Jo Wadey, talk to Ben about what’s been set out within the document and how they feel about it, following an outcry from IGPM members and primary care colleagues alike. From the risks posed by the way the funding has been set out, to an apparent lack of understanding about the reality on the ground right now, where this leaves the sector and how general practice could be better supported, the quartet tell us why the latest guidance falls so far short and share their concerns about what the future holds for a primary care which is already at crisis level.
Introduction (25 secs)
Initial reactions (46 secs)
Key concerns (1 min 14 secs)
Performance based funding (1 min 40 secs)
A lack of understanding about what’s happening on the ground (2 mins 52 secs)
The contradiction of improved access and promotion of remote consultations (4 mins 13 secs)
How should practices respond? (6 mins 28 secs)
Are there any useful takeaways from the publication? (8 mins 17 secs)
Onus on commissioners (9 mins 42 secs)
The risk of perverse incentivisation (10 mins 15 secs)
How can general practice be better supported right now? (11 mins)
IGPM response (11 mins 27 secs)
Feedback from individual practice managers (12 mins 52 secs)
An undeliverable expectation? (13 mins 21 secs)
A sign of things to come? (15 mins 33 secs)
The IGPM one year on and what is happening next (17 mins 19 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
With almost twelve months experience of delivering a first contact physiotherapy (FCP) service across three PCNs in South Tyneside, Connect Health can attest to their worth. In fact, the service has been so well received that the PCN are on a mission to double the numbers of physios across their area, going forwards. In this week’s episode we meet South Tyneside Clinical Director, Federation lead and GP Dr Anji Curry and Connect Health’s MSK Clinical Service Manager and Physiotherapy Advanced Practitioner Hal Brace, who talk to Ben about their journey so far; what first contact practitioners can bring to a PCN in terms of easing the workload burden and early intervention, the different models for recruitment, the importance of care navigation in supporting and complementing the FCP service, and why every team should consider inclusion of these vital roles within the context of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding available.
Introducing Anji (22 secs)
All about Hal (40 secs)
The South Tyneside PCN area (54 secs)
Adopting an innovative approach to the ARRS funding (1 min 20 secs)
PCN demographic (2 mins 30 secs)
A background to the FCP service and how the service has grown over time (2 mins 44 secs)
Partnering with Connect Health and the recruitment process for the FCPs (4 mins 58 secs)
How does the FCP service work in practice? (6 mins 5 secs)
The FCP spread across the PCN areas (8 mins 15 secs)
What have been the biggest challenges so far? (10 mins 38 secs)
Managing waiting times and clinic schedules (13 mins 12 secs)
Winning over more reluctant colleagues (14 mins 6 secs)
The relationship between the PCNs and Connect Health (15 mins 32 secs)
Why data measures and audits are key (17 mins 10 secs)
Planning for the future (18 mins 1 sec)
Advice and top tips from Hal and from Anji (19 mins 3 secs)
If you would like further information and / or would like to get in touch with the team at Connect Health, please visit their website here
Picking back up on our series of podcasts about making the best use of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, this week Ben meets a multi-skilled, multidisciplinary team of professionals who are all working towards achieving better mental health outcomes for the students, staff and young people based in and around the University of Nottingham campus. The wellbeing team, led by GP DR Matt Litchfield, consists of Stuart Keeling, Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Amy Smith, Occupational Therapist and Emma Swearman, Health and Wellbeing Coach. Based at Cripps Health Centre, the four each give us an insight into their backgrounds and their current roles, what they can offer to better the lives of their patients, both individually and as a collective, the enormous growth of the service over a relatively short time span and the wider impact they are having at practice level and to the benefit of the local healthcare sector, more widely.
Introducing Matt, Stuart, Amy & Emma (9 secs)
The practice, PCN and local population (29 secs)
Where the wellbeing team began (1 min 16 secs)
Stuart’s background and the growth of the Mental Health Nurse Practitioner role within the wellbeing team (2 mins 17 secs)
Appointment structure (5 mins 31 secs)
Amy’s input as an Occupational Therapist (OT) and what OTs can bring to a mental health service (6 mins 39 secs)
The transition of OTs into primary care (8 mins 32 secs)
Emma as a Health and Wellbeing Coach (10 mins 6 secs)
How does Emma’s role work in practice? (11 mins 26 secs)
Community health and wellbeing groups (12 mins 18 secs)
Measuring success (13 mins)
Team management structure and supervision (15 mins 11 secs)
The impact of the team on the wider practice and patients (16 mins 25 secs)
Meeting patient needs (17 mins 59 secs)
The importance of early intervention and the benefit to the wider healthcare partners (18 mins 22 secs)
Employment of the mental health practitioner in partnership with local providers (19 mins 31 secs)
Planning for the future (20 mins 54 secs)
Getting in touch (22 mins 37 secs)
If you have any specific questions, or you’d like to learn more about the inspiring work of the University of Nottingham wellbeing team, please contact Matthew or Stuart.
The struggle for leaders across primary care has never been more real. The ability to influence others and enact change whilst the sector is under such tremendous pressure has never been more difficult. So, what can we do to move our teams both at practice level, and when it comes to navigating and negotiating new ways of working across a network of people who have only very recently been thrown together? How do we manage tricky relationships and partners who don’t want to engage? How do ensure we are still able to prioritise and practice self-care at the same time? Thankfully, Dr Rachel Morris, GP and thought leader on resilience in the workplace, returns to the podcast to discuss all of the above (and more), and how both she and Ben can help those at the top to access further support, beyond this week’s episode.
National recognition (14 secs)
The ‘You Are Not A Frog’ podcast (31 secs)
Making friends and influencing people (48 secs)
The challenges of network working (2 mins 4 secs)
Starting with the problem, instead of the change (3 mins 9 secs)
The way you market your solutions matters (4 mins 24 secs)
Supporting GP leaders to improve collaborative working (5 mins 27 secs)
Recognising and addressing other people’s concerns (6 mins 49 secs)
The power of a network vision (8 mins 35 secs)
Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme: Reducing short-term pain to realise the long-term gain (10 mins 39 secs)
Linking specific goals to overall vision (12 mins 20 secs)
Starting with the “why?” (14 mins)
Executing new ideas (15 mins 12 secs)
Being realistic (16 mins 39 secs)
The importance of debate and being able to conflict well (17 mins 57 secs)
The Resilient Team Academy (19 mins 11 secs)
How can leaders support their teams without burning out? Training opportunity! (20 mins 4 secs)
For more information about the free online training session this coming Monday 11th October at 7.30pm ‘How to support your team through the new ways of working in primary care without burning out yourself’, please click here. The webinar will cover key topics such as how to support others more effectively, tackling the moaners and complainers; and how to empower your team and get them unstuck.
The links to all the reading material Rachel has referenced in this week’s episode are listed below:
'Influence Without Authority’ by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford
‘Start With Why’ by Simon Sinek
‘Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less’ by Greg McKeown
‘Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions’ by John Kotter
‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable’ by Patrick Lencioni
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
Episode 271 - Podcast – Taurus Healthcare – Inspiring great leadership in the dawn of Integrated Care Systems
The healthcare landscape is once again changing, and it is expanding rapidly. The age of integrated care systems (ICSs) is almost upon us and with it heralds a new set of challenges for general practice, particularly when it comes to establishing and maintaining effective leadership and enabling sound and unified decision making (which truly represents all local parties). This week, we introduce Dr Mike Hearne and Nisha Sankey, Managing Director and Director of Strategy and PCNs respectively, from the GP federation Taurus Healthcare based in Herefordshire. Both Mike and Nisha have been instrumental in setting up and running the Herefordshire General Practice Leadership Team; a single, decision-making body incorporating Herefordshire’s PCNs, federation, LMCs and CCG teams. Our podcast this week explores their journey; their infrastructure and resources, the decision-making processes in place, the obstacles and challenges they have faced along the way and how and why a single, unified leadership team will be instrumental in the new, integrated world.
Introductions (45 secs)
Taurus Healthcare background and achievements to date (52 secs)
Nisha’s role (2 mins 7 secs)
Relationships between PCNs and federation (2 mins 52 secs)
Taurus infrastructure (3 mins 55 secs)
The General Practice Leadership Team (4 mins 58 secs)
Establishing a recognised decision-making forum (6 mins 56 secs)
Managing pushback and obstacles (7 mins 41 secs)
Non-clinical chairmanship (9 mins 10 secs)
Nisha’s view on impartiality (10 mins 14 secs)
Manging tensions when it comes to decision making (10 mins 47 secs)
Facing future challenges (12 mins 5 secs)
Preserving the views of the group within individual representation (12 mins 54 secs)
Maintaining proactivity in the new world (15 mins 23 secs)
Resourcing and representation within the ICS environment (17 mins 16 secs)
Financial considerations (19 mins 41 secs)
Funding channels (20 mins 24 secs)
Getting in touch / finding out more (21 mins 40 secs)
The team at Taurus Healthcare are more than happy to talk and to share their experiences with others. All their main contact points are shown below:
LAST CALL FOR REMAINING PLACES! Information about the New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme, for those new to partnership or considering going into partnership, can be found here.
The introduction of new roles is not new to general practice, particularly right now, but with the relatively short timeframe that practices have had to adjust to the changes and the challenges following the introduction of the PCNs, it is not surprising that those working in the PCN Manager roles can find it difficult to integrate and engage with local staff. For Practice Managers who have long been used to the autonomy of leading their individual areas and juggling competing demands, the arrival of another manager and entrusting that they can prioritise their practice’s needs can be of concern. In our latest Practice Index / Ockham podcast series, we explore this theme with our resident Practice Management leads, Nicola Davies, and Robyn Clark, and with two experienced PCN Managers, Julie Damon and Tara Humphrey who share their experiences to date. The panel are all in agreement that the Practice Manager / PCN Manager relationship can and should work in harmony, but how can this happen and what can those who are struggling on both sides right now do to improve confidence and maximise the ability to deliver?
Introductions (39 secs)
Julie says hello (1 min 2 secs)
Reintroducing Tara (1 min 31 secs)
Robyn’s relationship with her PCN Manager (2 mins 9 secs)
Nicola’s network (2 mins 43 secs)
Julie’s experiences of working alongside the Practice Managers in her area (3 mins 23 secs)
Building trust with existing practice staff (4 mins 8 secs)
Why keeping in touch is so important (5 mins 13 secs)
The challenges Tara has faced in the past (5 mins 44 secs)
What made things tough? (6 mins 46 secs)
Finding a way through (7 mins 43 secs)
What does the role of the PCN Manager mean for Practice Managers? (8 mins 43 secs)
Nicola’s view (9 mins 34 secs)
Confidence and communication (10 mins 42 secs)
Learning to let go (11 mins 44 secs)
PCN v Practice (12 mins 49 secs)
The challenges of meeting workload demand (15 mins 4 secs)
Advice from Robyn and Nicola for PCN Managers who may be struggling to engage with practice staff (16 mins 55 secs)
Julie and Tara share their wisdom (19 ins 18 secs)
Recommended resources (21 mins 6 secs)
Support from the Institute of General Practice Management (22 mins 18 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
THC Primary Care’s website can be found here
For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here
This week’s episode of our additional roles focused series of podcasts features Alliance for Better Care’s multi-talented Chantelle Martin, an Occupational Therapist by background, who made the jump into social prescribing – and back again! Chantelle’s talks to Ben about her experiences of both worlds, her personal journey within general practice, and why she is now a passionate advocate and supporter of a hybrid approach to embedding the additional roles. So much so, that she has is pioneering and leading a joint social prescribing and occupational therapy service in her local area to enhance and complement what is already on offer to practices and patients.
Introduction (46 secs)
All about Chantelle (59 secs)
Jumping from occupational therapy into social prescribing (1 min 47 secs)
Haywards Heath PCN (2 mins 55 secs)
Starting out as the PCN’s first social prescribing link worker (3 mins 31 secs)
Network versus practice (4 mins 11 secs)
The social prescribing role (4 mins 29 secs)
Referral criteria and pathways (5 mins 45 secs)
Moving back to occupational therapy and the birth of a joint service (6 mins 25 secs)
How can social prescribing link workers and OTs work in partnership? (7 mins 36 secs)
Support, supervision, and caseload management (9 mins 4 secs)
A sense of belonging and influence (10 mins 10 secs)
Chantelle’s support network (12 mins 25 secs)
The occupational therapy service (13 mins 8 secs)
Expanding the social prescribing team (14 mins 21 secs)
Are the additional roles attractive enough for potential applicants? (15 mins 15 secs)
Meeting social prescribing referral targets (16 mins 13 secs)
Lessons learned (17 mins 46 secs)
Working as holistic teams, rather than as separate services (19 mins 12 secs)
Recommended resources (20 mins 17 secs)
There are still a couple of places up for grabs on each of the courses Ben is jointly running in September:
For clinical directors looking for some ongoing, structured support, the PCN Clinical Director Mastermind Programme is still open for applications. Click here if you’d like to find out more.
Information about the New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme, for those new to partnership or considering going into partnership, can be found here.
If you’d like to discuss any aspect of the courses which are currently on offer further, please contact Ben at ben@ockham.healthcare
Our Additional Roles podcast series continues and this week we focus on Streatham PCN’s innovative approach to the introduction of Care Coordinators into their network. Streatham PCN Clinical Director Emma Rowley-Conwy joins Ben to give us an insight into their journey; from their initial considerations of how to use the funding once they knew it would be made available, the roles they decided to start with, why they felt the development and promotion of existing practice support staff was the way to go when establishing a care coordination team and crucially, the positive impact they are seeing on patients, practices and network staff across the board.
Introduction (44 secs)
Streatham PCN setup (55 secs)
Streatham’s initial approach to the additional roles scheme (1 min 10 secs)
Practice involvement in development of the Pharmacy roles (2 mins 18 secs)
Expansion from Pharmacists to Care Coordinators (3 mins 9 secs)
Early considerations of how best to use the Care Coordinators (4 mins 41 secs)
Numbers of Care Coordinators in post right now (5 mins 59 secs)
Development of the Care Coordinator roles across the network (6 mins 7 secs)
How are caseloads and referrals managed in practice? (9 mins 13 secs)
Tackling the problem of variation across practices (10 mins 29 secs)
Recruitment process (11 mins 35 secs)
Building the roles and the confidence of the team and establishing consistency (11 mins 50 secs)
Monitoring the impact (13 mins 3 secs)
How are the practices feeling the benefits? (13 mins 30 secs)
Taking the next step (14 mins 58 secs)
Where the additional roles may fit when the new PCN specs are published (16 mins 24 secs)
Lessons learned (16 mins 46 secs)
Support networks (17 mins 59 secs)
There are still a couple of places up for grabs on each of the courses Ben is jointly running in September:
For clinical directors looking for some ongoing, structured support, the PCN Clinical Director Mastermind Programme is still open for applications. Click here if you’d like to find out more.
Information about the New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme, for those new to partnership or considering going into partnership, can be found here.
If you’d like to discuss any aspect of the courses which are currently on offer further, please contact Ben at ben@ockham.healthcare