I have often thought the ‘bosses’ I have dealt with during my career suffer from a ‘syndrome’. It’s what I call the ‘five-minute syndrome’. In a surgery, this is time it takes for a patient to consult with a doctor, and those suffering from this ‘syndrome’ take the view that everything and anything can be…

Sacking someone is never a pleasant thing to have to do and can result in distress on both sides. Thankfully, I haven’t had many occasions to sack someone but I can think of two managers who were sacked – for theft – and one attempted dismissal of a manager for poor performance. What is the…

The idea of old-fashioned common sense and getting on with the job has gone and in place of this we have robotic, over-legalised pen-pushery! The role of a doctor’s surgery practice manager seems to have become over complicated and subject to random testing – just like being back at school! My sympathy lies entirely with…

Surgery Inspections During an inspection, the question asked by the Care Quality Commission is “is it safe?” but when it comes to standards of accommodation, things have changed dramatically over the years. In the 1950s consulting rooms were cluttered but basically furnished with old-fashioned roll-top desks for the doctors. During the 1970s and 80s when…

When welcoming the team of CQC Inspectors to the surgery, no doubt you will have some questions to ask them. Who are they? What are their credentials? What experience have they of general practice? What can they ask you about and what rights do they have when asking you questions? However, you will find that…

It’s a sad day when the only email you receive is one that you’ve sent to yourself. But as a GP Practice Manager your Inbox is likely to become full even if you turn away from the screen for a second. Some emails may be junk, others may be “urgent”’ and ‘important’. There are few…

I have not had many occasions where sacking someone was my prime objective, taking disciplinary action was also a rarity. Although I was accused of being soft, I personally found a quiet firm chat usually did the trick. Nevertheless, I can think of two practice managers who were sacked for theft, and one attempt to…