Since the COVID-19 vaccine programme commenced, healthcare staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to administer the vaccine to those patients sitting in the high-priority groups. To date, c18 million people have had their first dose of the vaccine; this equates to one in three adults across the UK. The roll-out continues at pace, and the…

Do you find yourself becoming increasingly short-tempered or have you seen members of your team go from being happy and chatty to the person who comes to work, does their job and says nothing? Today’s working environment is significantly different to what it was 12 months ago; little did we know then the significant impact…

If you’re struggling to think of something positive to come out of this pandemic, let me suggest the ability to adapt to and overcome the challenges and changes that have been forced upon primary care. We’ve had to deal with ever-moving goalposts, changes to routines, the hurry up and wait for clear and concise direction.…

As I was wondering how to start this blog, for some reason the Stealers Wheel’s song “Stuck In The Middle With You” came into my mind. Now I’m not for one minute saying that MHRA are clowns or Pfizer jokers; I’m merely emphasising that we’re stuck in the middle! Maybe I should have called the…

The CQC has and continues to go through a period of change; there’s the ARR, ESF, TRA and now TMA, giving a plethora of TLAs. IMO it’s little wonder that a lot of people may be thinking OMG, IDK what you’re on about. MMW, you’re not alone! Right, enough of the three-letter abbreviations (TLAs); it’s…

There have been many comments recently regarding staff development, particularly about mandatory training, retake periods and who needs to do what training. Well, the ball lies in your court (to a certain extent) as Nigel’s surgery 70 states: “CQC does not have a list of mandatory training for members of the GP practice team”. You…

Last week, I wrote a blog explaining why it’s good practice to give a presentation to your team about how the CQC inspects practices, particularly as a lot has changed over the past few months, including the CQC’s regulatory approach. What hasn’t changed is the fact that you still have a 30-minute opportunity to shine,…