Volunteers. Could they help your practice? And what about work experience placements? Could the extra pair of hands help ease your workload? While some practice managers may dismiss both as ‘taking more time than they save’, for many practices up and down the country they are a great way to ease the pressure of work…

Do you ever have that ‘ooh err… not happy about those notes’ moments… when you look at something recorded by a clinician and think that there isn’t quite enough detail there to cover your back if the ‘you-know-what’ hits the big fat fan?! I have what you might call a medico-legal ‘bent’ (long story, won’t…

The Accessible Information Standard (AIS), known officially as SCCI1605 Accessible Information, is a new mandatory ‘information standard’ for implementation by all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care – including GP practices – that needs to be in place by 31 July 2016. The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that people who have…

Most practices in Northern Ireland are “struggling”, according to a new survey. And one in ten practices said they were “barely coping” in the British Medical Association survey. The situation is so bad that patients are to be asked to sign a petition over the summer calling for more resources for general practice. The BMA…

The number of vacant GP positions has increased dramatically, according to a new survey. The findings led GP leaders to call on the government to deliver rapidly on promises of more investment in primary care. According to the survey, claimed as the only one of its kind, as many as 12% of GP positions are…

Practices have been urged not to display posters telling patients they may have to buy common medicines – rather than getting prescriptions. The posters are part of an economy drive in some clinical commissioning groups. One clinical commissioning group has issued practices with posters telling patients they may not be prescribed common medicines. A second…

The very nature of a general practice in the UK is being challenged by ‘progress’; progress in new technology, personnel, and health and safety legislation.  Major changes are taking place in the way GP Practices are expected to provide services, how theses services are funded and managed, and how standards are monitored and measured. Working…