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 lot we can learn from it. Throughout the year, the Practice Index weekly blog brought you updates on all the hot topics in primary care, including new authors sharing their support, anecdotes and current guidance.

In case you missed anything, here’s a round-up of the most popular blogs of 2023. These are the articles that really struck a chord with our readers.

The future of general practice

Will general practice still be financially viable after 1st April 2024? – by Ceri Gardener
In this article, Ceri discusses the impact of the changes to funding and the implications of mandated pay increases in excess of the available funding. Ceri also suggests some points you might want to raise with your local MP, in the hope that the level of concern in practices might be reflected in discussions at a national level.

The QOF 2023/24 summary
As ever, the 2023/24 QOF summary looks at the changes to QOF including amendments to points and thresholds. This useful overview means you can focus on the changes you need to implement.

Pay rises – what pay rises!? – By Paula the PM
In July 2023, our very own “Paula the PM” wrote about the announcement of pay rises for doctors, the difficulty practices faced in paying these pay rises and the considerable strain health services were under. The blog still rings true today.

Wellbeing and retention

Practice Index Wellbeing Plan
Our employees are our greatest asset, and as practice managers we care about the wellbeing of our staff. The availability of funding for those of us who operate under QOF has meant a greater ability to focus on staff wellbeing. For those who don’t have the added incentive of QOF funding, we still want to ensure that our employees don’t burn out and that we help and support them during their working lives. Our FREE Wellbeing Plan helps you to identify what support individuals might need when they’re feeling under pressure.

What the fog? – by Ceri Gardener
Ceri’s support for practice managers and their teams continues in this interesting blog about the effects of the menopause, offering some strategies for managing a challenging process that directly affects around 50% of the population at some point in their lives, and will indirectly affect the other 50%. There are a number of linked supporting resources including policies and training to support menopause in the workplace.

Helpful ideas and resources

Is there a better way of handling calls into the practice? – by Ben Gowland

In this insightful blog, Ben Gowland talks about the daily challenges faced by our practice receptionists. Without enough appointment slots being available, receptionists are left to manage difficult situations every day. Ben discusses this podcast in which IGPM Director Jo Wadey and Dr David Stokes from a surgery in Worthing turned this stressful situation around, improving their patient satisfaction rate by 10%.

The Healthcare Assistant Handbook
This blog announces the arrival of Practice Index’s must-have guide, the Healthcare Assistant Handbook. Topics in the handbook include professional development, quality and safety, clinical processes and organisational processes. It’s a fantastic and accessible reference tool for HCAs.

HR hot topics

Employees accessing their pension early – What happens?
With significant changes to the way that some parts of the NHS Pension Scheme deal with retirement, it’s useful to think about how we manage requests for retirement. In particular, we need to bear in mind that what constitutes continuity of employment for one purpose may not match the requirements of continuity of employment for another.

“I’m not sick, but I can’t come into work today” – Navigating family emergencies in practice
As employers, we often have to manage complex situations. For example, when staff have been with us for a long period of time, we might need to navigate a multitude of caring responsibilities that have arisen during the time they’ve been with us. We need to manage needs sensitively, while also ensuring that the business can continue to run effectively. In this blog, Susi O’Brien discusses some of the challenges we face and the management issues we need to consider.

When family comes first – A quick rundown of family leave entitlements for GP practice employees
This useful article from Susi O’Brien investigates the different types of statutory family leave in the UK, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and parental bereavement leave. It also discusses time off work for dependants. It’s a clear, up-to-date and succinct overview of family leave, with links to relevant policies.

Balancing your bank holidays
This blog from January 2023 is an insightful read. Providing clear examples, the article explains how bank holidays are calculated as part of leave entitlement for both part-time and full-time staff.

Using the Bradford Factor
This simple formula, which allows employers to monitor short-term sickness absence, is explained fully here. The Bradford Factor can help to spot patterns of absence, so it’s a useful calculation to understand in detail. The article also provides links to relevant policies and learning packages.

Letting off steam!

Leaving negativity behind – by Stressed PM
A “stressed PM” writes of her frustrations with daily practice life, especially when it comes to moaning patients who enjoy making their complaints public by writing negative reviews about the surgery. But instead of taking the criticisms and insults to heart, the “stressed PM” decides to rise above it and believe in herself and her capabilities. You’re sure to relate to the exasperated and defiant tone in this blog.

Access, access, access – By Paula the PM!
Another post from “Paula the PM” discusses the changes to the GP Contract. At a time when Covid is still making huge demands on primary care staff, Paula explains, in her usual outspoken style, what access to services really means. She’s amazed at the government’s emphasis on “workforce wellbeing” when they also insist on more access for patients.

Monday morning dread – by Nicola Davies
Becoming stressed about each new week is a real problem for practice managers, as noted by Nicola Davies. She emphasises that holidays should be a time to switch off completely, but then facing work after a break can be even harder – especially when most PMs receive huge numbers of emails while they’re away. Nicola suggests some ways to manage this situation more effectively.

Why I became a Practice Manager – by Kay Keane
This motivational blog from Kay Keane might just be the reading matter you need to launch you into 2024! While reviewing her personal journey to becoming a PM, and starting her first role, Kay speaks with passion about the real difference we can all make while working “in the thick of it”.

As we race into the new year, we hope these blogs from 2023 will give you the insights you need. Whether you require information on QOF, HR, staff wellbeing or practice finances, or you’re simply looking forward to the latest light-hearted read from one of our writers, keep your eyes on Practice Index in 2024 for all the latest hot topics in general practice.