“You’re on mute again, Frank!”  “I can’t figure Excel out; can we just use a calculator?”  “I use Word every day and I had no idea you could do that.” Does this sound familiar? In the unique world of primary care, we have a wonderful mix of people from all walks of life working together…

Practices urged to set out priorities Dr Michelle Drage, Chief Executive of Londonwide Local Medical Committees (LMCs), has urged practices to speak out about the “hamster wheel” of pressures they face and to decide on their priorities ahead of this year’s general election. Dr Drage wrote to members of Londonwide LMCs following the rallying cry…

I don’t know about you, but December felt really tough in good old GP Land. Winter bugs were everywhere – and they still are! – impacting on our staff, and there were many more patients coming through our doors. People were trying to get excited about Christmas whilst also worrying about the cost of it.…

Practices praised for delivering record numbers of appointments November 2023 was the busiest November ever for general practice, according to NHS England, and this highlights the enormous pressure on GP services. The number of appointments was 30% higher than before the pandemic, and almost 70% of appointments were in person. NHS England Director for Primary…

Many in general practice dread the first weeks in January because we just know things are going to be bad. But why is this? Is it really inevitable, and is there anything we can do to stop it being quite so tough? The starting point is to understand why so many people come through the…

What a whirlwind of a year 2023 was! With funding challenges, an emphasis on workforce wellbeing, an additional bank holiday and a new approach to CQC inspections – to name just a few of the challenges thrown at general practice – last year was a busy and difficult time for Practice Managers, but there’s a…

A summary of the HR and H&S updates issued in December 2023. HR Updates Red alerts New holiday laws coming into effect from 1st January 2024 Green alerts New law on employer obligations to protect employees from sexual harassment passed