We know that the COVID-19 ES is long and complicated! To help you get ahead of the deadlines, we’ve spent time reading and re-reading all the essential details to break it down into an easy to follow format. The Enhanced Service specification can be found here The ‘Next Steps’ letter, dated 1st December 2020, can…

World War Z. 28 Days Later. Mad Max. They ALL got it wrong when it comes to the currency of the apocalypse. It won’t be weapons, food or Guzzolene that people kill for. It’ll be bog roll and packet pasta. But, practice manager, when this is all over (and it WILL be over), medical marketing…

With the increasing concern about COVID-19, what should practices be doing to protect themselves against coronavirus? Telephone triage has been suggested as one possible way to minimise potential contact with COVID-19, but will it really work? For practices that don’t currently operate a telephone-triage system, one thing to bear in mind is the level of…

A practice in Leeds has been praised for its “trailblazing” approach to the care of LGBT+ patients. The Armley Practice has gained a Gold Award from the Pride in Practice programme for embedding procedures, such as annual training in diversity for staff. The training has taught staff about the barriers faced by LGBT+ patients in…

Many practices are using untrained reception staff as so-called “care navigators” to direct patients to community activities, according to a new study. Schemes are running in most parts of the country but the way it is done is very “variable,” according to a report in the British Journal of General Practice. The NHS has announced…

Across the pages of the Practice Index blog, one of the common themes that keeps cropping up is the need – and attempts made – to free up resources. Whether it’s a push to save time and free up appointments, cut wastage, reduce drug over-prescribing or an automation of tasks, plenty of schemes have been…

In the driving seat Having spent some time back in the driving seat recently in a busy practice, after a few years of being at home on the ranch, I realised that whilst the workload is changing all the time, I suspect that the employers’ attitude to their staff and their practice managers hasn’t changed…