As the number of patient contacts in general practice steadily rises and the nature of healthcare becomes increasingly complex, it is perhaps not surprising that many practices view telephone-based consultations and triage as a way of safely managing increasing demand while also meeting patients’ understandable desires for a timely response to their requests for urgent…

NHS England’s Five Year Forward View recognises the potential benefits of GP practices working together with neighbouring practices, community hospitals and other providers to support efficient service delivery at a local level. New GP Federations are being established right across the country, bringing both opportunities and new challenges for practice managers. Much of the initial…

Technology and medicine have always been intrinsically linked, whether for X-ray machines, lab equipment or for other diagnostic and treatment aids. However, one application of technology in medicine is often overlooked or ignored, leading to practice managers relying on stagnant methodology when it comes to managing a practice. There are a great many benefits of…

Are pharmacists the answer to easing practice workloads? Or can pharmacists ease practice workloads? One of the major news stories this week has been the launch of NHS England’s 10 point plan to address staff shortages in general practice. Along with incentivising GPs to postpone retirement, the plan includes piloting schemes to introduce new grades of support…

It has been reported this week that NHS England is considering allowing CCGs to handle patient complaints about GPs, following criticism of the current system by a parliamentary committee. The House of Commons Health Committee highlighted examples of primary care complaints from Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly being passed to a call centre…

News of surgeries at breaking point will come as no news to any primary care worker in the NHS right now. Recently the topic was hotly debated in the press when David Cameron was presented with a petition from East London GPs who fear 22 practices in deprived London areas will be forced to close…