As the clock struck midnight, taking us into 2020, never would I have thought, as a practice manager, I’d be saying any of these phrases this year! “You can’t come into the surgery unless you’re wearing a mask.” “For the fourth time today, Teresa, the mask goes OVER your nose.” “Sally, stop baking cakes –…

Patients are being put at risk by partial use of electronic medication systems, according to an official investigation. Electronic prescribing is being “poorly implemented”, leading to crucial information not being shared with practices and pharmacies, according to the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. It undertook the investigation after the death of a cancer patient who received…

GPs have voted to create England’s single largest clinical commissioning group, serving a population of more than two million. The new CCG ranges from Hackney to Havering, takes in seven CCGs and gained overwhelming support from local practices, the Health Service Journal reported. It will now share the borders with an integrated care system that…

Practices and local partnerships should get a share of the millions allocated to England’s “failing” test and trace system, a group of doctors say today. The budgets for the widely criticised service should go to local services, including primary care, local NHS laboratories and local public health services, the experts write in the Journal of…

Earlier this week on the forum, there was an anonymous post from one of our colleagues asking if they “should stay or go”. Alarmingly, there were a number of comments posted saying that they too were going, or would be going shortly. This made me incredibly sad at the rapid exodus of good, solid managers…

It is a tough time for general practice right now, and a particularly tough time for practice managers.  Fast on the heels of having had to carry out risk assessments, establish mechanisms of virtual working and completely redesign the way the practice works all as a result of coronavirus, practices have had to undertake the…

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…