Missed appointments in general practice should be regarded as an “inevitable outcome” of the appointment system, rather than a patient problem, according to a new evaluation published. A range of techniques for non-attendances are suggested by the authors. The conclusion comes following analysis of a quality improvement (QI) programme involving 25 GP practices in the…

After almost a year of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan was the first patient in the world to receive the PfizerBioNTech vaccination at 6:31am this morning, only days after its clinical approval. Delivered in the local hospital in Coventry by NHS nurse May Parsons, this landmark moment signals the start of the…

The first hospital COVID-19 vaccinations could be under way tomorrow while practices could begin programmes next week, according to government sources. NHS England said a small number of primary care networks will begin community vaccination next week. Hospitals will focus on elderly hospital patients and care home staff while practices will be expected to focus…

We know it’s difficult to quantify the amount of time or money you might be able to save on your PPA claim, so we’ve put together a case study to illustrate this for you. So, let’s introduce Practice A. This practice is based in a suburban area and is a GMS practice with just over…

With one vaccine against COVID-19 now officially approved for use in the UK and others likely to follow, GP practices are certain to play their part in administering the vaccines to the population. However, ensuring how this process, described by NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens as “the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country’s…

I have many, many moments during the day when staff members come in to see me, ring me or just tell me as I’m walking down the corridor something that makes me think internally, ‘You’re telling me this why?!’ Externally, of course, I smile and politely try and point them, very nicely, in the direction of: ‘You could really manage to…

An improved notification system will be in place this year, alerting practices to which patients have received the flu vaccination, it has been announced. The service, created by NHS Digital, sends the information electronically from pharmacies to GP practices. NHS Digital reported on Monday (30 December) that it has been expanded ahead of this winter,…