A hot topic that practice managers often talk about is the management of appointments. A key element to this is the allocation of pre-bookable appointments versus those available on the day. A recent post on the Practice Index Forum once again raised the issue and some really good points have been raised in the discussion,…

Practices will be able to access more than £10,000 in funding to help former GPs return to work, it was announced yesterday. The money includes up to £8,000 in relocation allowances and up to £2,000 for education costs. The scheme will also allow up to £2,000 for locum cover for when a returning GPs are…

GP practices that rent premises from the NHS are to get a standard leasing agreement with new safeguards, it has been announced. Practices have until November next year to sign up for the new lease and get costs of the sign-up, such as stamp duty, refunded by NHS England. The deal was announced yesterday by…

Very few GPs have plans to offer consultations by email or over the internet, according to the findings of a survey published today. The survey was carried out as part of the Alt-Con project, a collaboration between Bristol, Oxford, Edinburgh and Exeter Universities. It is exploring alternatives to face-to-face consultations, and why these alternatives have…

Robert Campbell  This article was prepared after dealing with two vacancies for practice managers in two medium sized practices. “A Jack of All Trades” When applying to be a GP Practice Manager, a ‘Jack of All Trades’ is required. Your ability to delegate work to others will depend on the Practice size, the number of…

Practices in Wales are set to get a new computerised system that will measure their workload, it has been announced. GP leaders believe the IT system will support their claims of growing pressure on practices. It is also likely to demonstrate the value of the general medical services contract, Dr Charlotte Jones, chair of the…

In the months leading up to and during school holidays, many practices can be inundated with holiday requests for the same period. With an obligation for practice managers to ensure enough staff are present to provide adequate cover for patient care and daily administrative work, balancing leave requests can be tricky. The right to refuse…