24-hour retirement allows doctors to draw their NHS pension and then return to work. Specialist medical accountant James Gransby explains what this means for GP partners. How it works For those in the 1995 section of the NHS pension scheme, legislation requires a GP to break their contract for a period of 24 hours (a…

The doctors who have died from Covid-19 may have been mostly working with asymptomatic patients, according to a new analysis which will raise fresh concerns about the quality of protective equipment offered to staff. A new study identifies 119 deaths of NHS staff, including five practice staff, based on news reports and social media. Reporting…

With the Budget arriving on Wednesday, our thoughts turn to general practice and what might be proposed for us this year. While it is unlikely that our wish list of unlimited funding and double the number of GPs and nurses will be granted tomorrow, or ever! What could we more realistically hope for? The NHS…

Handwashing is the key to containing the Covid-19 virus, the government said yesterday. It stressed the improved public hygiene could slow the spread of infection, helping to move the outbreak to summer months. As it announced its action plan yesterday its worst case scenarios suggested that up to 80% of the population could be infected…

How pensions are shown in the practice accounts Pension costs for the NHS pension scheme are split three ways: Employee standard contributions – these are a based on different rates for different tiers of earnings Employer contributions – fixed currently at 14.38% with a further central top-up by the NHS in England, Wales and Northern…

Pay rises, it seems, are an emotive subject. Plus, if the popular thread on the Practice Index Forum is anything to go by – click here to join the conversation – there’s a real mixed bag of regular pay rises, ad hoc increases, bonus payments and no rises to contend with. Reading between the lines…

The cervical screening programme has been hit by new problems in the administration of GP practice services, it has been announced. A small number of women – 16 – have failed to receive invitations to screening on time, administrators Capita said. The latest problems led the British Medical Association to renew calls for Capita to…