Another stealthy letter has passed across my desk. I’d missed it among the never-ending torrent of paperwork and guidance. Somehow it only slipped into my consciousness today; clearly, I must have been asleep at the end of last week. Last day of the month and last thing on a Friday – really? I must start…

Improving working relationships with GP partners: what do partners think? You may have a clear idea of what an effective relationship looks like between practice manager and partners but would the partners in your practice agree? What do they want from a good practice manager? And what do PMs need from them? We asked GP…

The arrival of a new baby is undoubtedly amazing, but it’s also stressful, overwhelming and changes the parents’ lives in every way. Of course, there are also sleepless nights to contend with and a great deal of worry about caring for this new little person. Nothing really prepares you for the experience! Bearing in mind…

For practice managers, one of the biggest headaches is staffing. Recruiting new staff, retaining existing people, managing salary (and pension) costs and generally ensuring a practice has the right balance of personnel is tough. Then there’s the CQC’s safe staffing agenda to worry about. According to the CQC, Safe, effective staffing is about “having enough…

The UK has fewer GPs per person than at any time in the last 50 years, according to a stark analysis published today. The failure of GP numbers to keep up with population growth was highlighted by a second survey showing doctors working, on average, 11 hour days. The Nuffield Trust analysis found that there…

Home visits can be a daunting prospect for a locum team member. Providing them with a few extra little details about the patient they are visiting, can go a long way to helping the locum get the most out of their time, writes Dr Richard Fieldhouse. Home visits can be particularly challenging for GP locums,…

GPs will continue to play a vital role as a gatekeeper to the NHS and put their patients first despite questions being raised about their role in a new study, senior doctors say today. The Royal College of GPs, responding to a study published in the latest edition of the British Journal of General Practice,…