Even with years of experience and perfect policies and procedures, you might still find yourself requiring professional advice on a HR or employment law matter. Perhaps double checking something to make sure you are correctly following employment law and working in line with best practice. To a certain level, there is little need to pay for HR advice.…

GPs need to consider offering their practice nurses training in paediatric care, it was claimed today. A report published today shows that just 1% of practice nurses are registered as children’s nurses. The report of the Queen’s Nursing Institute says there is a “huge opportunity” for increased investment in practice nurses. Paediatricians said the report…

Grading Systems There is no consistent approach to the grading of general practice staff posts. Despite the advent, from 2005 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay system some practices still use the old NHS Whitley Council grading system. The Whitley system though is probably around 10% lower than the Agenda system. And of course…

Unfortunately, attacks on practice staff are an ongoing problem. Only last September a GP in Nottingham was violently attacked by a mentally ill patient demanding access to his medical records. Unfortunately, such incidents don’t only occur once in a blue moon; in Nottingham alone this defendant is one of 29 patients listed on the local…

The controversial NHS Health Check programme has successfully prevented major cardiovascular incidents, according to research published today. Most health checks take place in practices – although organisations contracted to do the work have also used pharmacies and other locations. In its first five years, the programme prevented 2,500 cases, according to researchers at Queen Mary…

The government may be back-tracking on some of its plans for general practice, according to papers from a parliamentary committee. It no longer envisages that all GP practices will be open at weekends, according to a report submitted by health minister Alastair Burt. And its commitment to extra doctors in general practice may not need…

Practices have been offered a new on-line service to help clinicians make decisions about treatment of children. The service, Paediatric Care Online, has been developed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The college says it will help ensure the “right” children are sent to hospital and for specialist care. The result could…