We’re nearly two years on from the changes in the GMS contract which announced extra help to practices in the event of GP sickness absence. So, how’s it going? For some practices it’s working as intended.  Dr X is off sick for more than two weeks and, instead of the practice having to fund cover…

So you’ve landed your dream job and you’re now the Practice Manager! But if it’s your first time in the industry, are you ready for the challenges that lie ahead? Primary care is unlike any other industry and no two practices are the same. That’s the reality of working in general practice. Maybe in a…

Personal productivity: every little helps Frankly, we’re just not pulling our weight. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, British productivity used to grow at a solid 2% a year, but in the last decade it’s hardly grown at all. Productivity is now lagging behind the majority of Western Europe – and it’s a problem…

There have been a few forum threads recently about staff not getting on, ‘he-said-she-said’, treating each other unprofessionally and so on. As managers, how do we deal effectively with these situations, and is there anything we can do to prevent them from happening? So let’s get reactive before we get proactive… Sadly, you can’t sit…

Current UK legislation awards, as a right, 28 days’ leave to all employed persons. These 28 leave days can include 8 days’ worth of bank holidays, which some might think reduces the leave entitlement to 20 days or four working weeks. Most GPs enjoy at least 30 days’ leave per annum, plus a week’s study…

A topic that’s been popping up on the forums recently is what the ideal practice manager appraisal looks like. A number of contributors – myself included – have recommended 360-degree appraisals, and some have even recommended that partners should undergo the same process! So what is a 360-degree appraisal? Rather than a standard appraisal where…

Arguably, mental health is being talked about more than ever before. Changing an organisation’s culture doesn’t happen overnight but increasingly employers are recognising the importance of creating mentally healthy workplaces. What can we do? Time to Talk Day, which takes place on 7th February provides the opportunity to open up the conversation about mental health…