One thing the health sector in the UK loves is a good survey and project pilot. There seems to be an endless stream of studies highlighting the good and bad of the NHS and healthcare delivery – and one common topic for these is the use of telephone consultations. It’s also a topic being discussed…

It’s vitally important within GP practices that practice staff work well together. Given the pressures of the job, all of those HR buzzwords such as collaboration, teamwork, support and harmony are of paramount importance. One way to drive enhanced teamwork and hopefully deliver a more harmonious workforce is to set up a buddy system. Defined…

It pays to be really good at employee recognition. According to various studies on the topic, companies with a solid strategy to recognise team members are proven to enjoy stronger engagement, increased employee morale, better customer service and lower staff turnover. And in the high-pressure environment of a GP practice, a little pat on the back…

In this blog I aim to unravel some of the myths surrounding flexible working requests. 1) You can only apply for flexible working if you have kids Not true anymore! In 2014 the law concerning who can make a flexible working request was changed, so that it no longer only applies to parents with children…

“No man is an island” said John Donne. As people, we depend on one another and the same can be said in general practice, where we rely on the team effort to ensure the needs of our patients are met. With the pressures faced by general practices today, the need for managers to delegate effectively…

An interesting and popular thread currently prompting plenty of discussion on the Practice Index Forum is one about staff disharmony. It’s easy to see why this thread is proving so popular. GP practice teams tend to be relatively small. Practices can also be high-pressure environments. Combine those two facts with the fact that we’re all…

GP leaders have launched an investigation into the administration of pensions amid continuing concern about the support services provided to practices. The British Medical Association believes the extent of the problem is being covered up – and has served Freedom of Information requests on NHS England. It wants to establish the “value and whereabouts” of…