Survey points to Practice Manager earnings

Practice Managers earn nearly £50,000 on average, but with significant variations from practice to practice, according to a new survey of the profession in Pulse magazine.

The average earnings of a full-time Manager are £48,802. The survey found that salaries range from £20,000 to £100,000 – although this includes part-time earnings.

The highest average salaries were in Scotland – at £51,438 – while just 1% of Managers are earning more than £80,000.

Practice funding falling in real terms

Over the last four years, funding for general practice has fallen when measured against inflation. The reduction is worth £350 million according to research by the House of Commons Library undertaken for the Liberal Democrats.

The Royal College of GPs said it made “no sense” that the value of funding for practices had been allowed to fall.

Chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said: “General practice is the bedrock of the NHS, and investing in it leads both to better health outcomes for patients and delivers amazing value to the NHS. We now know that for every £1 invested in primary care, at least £14 is delivered in productivity across the working community – so it makes absolutely no sense that spending on general practice is falling in real terms.”

MMR campaign launched following measles outbreaks

Following new outbreaks of measles, the NHS has launched a major campaign to encourage families to get the MMR vaccine. The latest campaign focuses on London and the West Midlands where there is low vaccine uptake.

NHS Director of Vaccinations and Screening Steve Russell said: “The NHS is acting quickly to tackle the spread of measles by contacting one million people aged between 11 and 25 across London and the Midlands to urge them to get their vaccine. People who are unvaccinated can get catch-up jabs at MMR pop-ups in schools and other convenient places while GPs, teachers and trusted community leaders are encouraging groups that are less likely to get their jab to come forward.”

Associate regulation approved

Despite objections from many medical organisations, the Government has pressed ahead with plans for the regulation of physician associates.

Following a vote by MPs last week, associates will fall under the General Medical Council – although the GMC has promised to use a registration number system, which distinguishes them from doctors.

The BMA has been pressing for regulation to be undertaken by the Health and Care Professions Council.

Chair Professor Philip Banfield said: “The rubberstamp approval of this potentially harmful legislation by the House of Commons is hugely disappointing. MPs have consented to the blurring of the roles of doctor and PA, and in so doing, risked thousands of patients believing they will be getting care from a doctor when they will not.”

Paradox of practice rules that seek to manage access

According to a new analysis in the British Journal of General Practice, practices are introducing “reactive” rules to manage demand, which are undermining continuity of care.

This “paradox” leads to more work for practices and leaves little capacity to reach out to the most vulnerable or to be flexible with those who are most in need.

Dr Jennifer Voorhees and fellow researchers from the University of Manchester interviewed 54 patients in the North West of England and conducted 71 hours of observation in reception areas and meetings. The researchers reported seeing receptionists struggling to enforce complicated rules around appointments, including rules that varied depending on the day of the week.

They write: “One aspect of telling so many people to ‘call back tomorrow’ was that the receptionists were actually generating more work for themselves tomorrow, adding to tomorrow’s demand…”

We share more news, updates and useful information for primary care in our ‘Good to know’ posts in the forum. You can access these here (login required).