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We return this week with another instalment from our Practice Index sponsored Practice Manager panel members Robyn Clark and Nicola Davies, who feature alongside fellow podcast favourite Dr Hussain Gandhi, Clinical Director for Nottingham City East PCN and eGPlearning guru. Ben was keen to gauge the group’s reaction to the recent changes in contractual requirements to ensure same-day contact with patients and how this can possibly be met in an environment where many practices are struggling with recruitment of receptionists, management of training in care navigation, staff wellbeing and the ongoing mismatch in patient expectations and media perception.

Introduction (0.34)

Gandhi’s initial thoughts (0.50)

Embedding the total triage model (1.11)

The importance of patient education (1.55)

Where do we stand re. patient engagement? (2.27)

A lack of support centrally – and from the media at large (3.19)

Knock-on effect (3.39)

Direction from ICBs and local systems (4.48)

Why total triage won’t work in every practice (6.08)

Having permission to develop a system which works for individual patient populations (6.49)

Is this contractual change more impactful than the capacity and access plans we have to submit? How is Gandhi managing this in his area, within his capacity as Clinical Director? (7.19)

Empowerment of reception teams and enablement of the care navigation role (9.11)

Concern re. public perception of reception staff (10.50)

What’s being offered in terms of upskilling reception teams? (11.52)

Challenges of recruitment (13.05)

Moving the care navigation initiative forward (13.43)

Support from secondary care colleagues (15.07)

Referrals back to primary care (16.09)

Dissecting the BMA response (17.05)

Protection of primary care staff wellbeing and working within safe limits (18.50)

A mismatch in expectations (20.00)

Positive advice for practices from Robyn (20.49)

Strength in numbers (22.37)

Continuous engagement with ICBs (23.21)

Working as a network (24.44)

For more information about NHS England’s Looking after you too scheme, click here

Check out eGPlearning for tons of resources to help practices and networks to navigate the new contractual obligations

To visit the Practice Index website, click here or contact James Dillon here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

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This week Ben is joined by David McKenzie, GP Rudgwick Medical Centre based in North West Sussex. David has been spending his time developing an automation system, ABC insights, that he believes will be helpful to GPs and patients moving forward. David explains how ABC works, the barriers he has faced so far with the system and what the future looks like for ABC. David has developed ABC himself and describes the pros and cons of doing a ‘self build’. Finally, David shares his experience of implementing ABC in his own GP practice and how it has improved the quality of his time with patients and saved time for himself and others within the practice.

Introduction (0:09)

What caused David to create ABC insights.. (1:29)

David shares examples.. (2:15)

How does the developed automation work? (3:35)

What’s been automated so far? (4:53)

How does it integrate with other systems? (5:56)

Why choose to self develop.. (6:47)

Who is using this so far? (8:21)

Issues David has found so far.. (8:57)

Barriers David has faced.. (10:23)

Feedback from patients so far? (13:42)

Thoughts for ABC’s future.. (15:23)

How are you managing the growth of ABC? (18:58)

How to find out more about ABC.. (20:18)

Email David for more information about ABC here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

A screenshot of the current “production quality” modules which are used regularly can be found below.

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In today’s episode we are delighted to bring together Tara Humphrey, Dr Naj Seedat, Robert McCartney & podcast host Ben Gowland, who collectively run the ‘New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme’. They discuss the growing influence of PCNs on GP practices, and what this means for GP partners. The group reflect on what partnerships in general practice look like at the moment, how new partners can find their feet when arriving at a new practice and how to avoid tensions within partnerships. The 4 course presenters explain how all this is covered in the New to General Practice Partnership programme, as well as sharing more details about the course, how it works and the value it provides for participants.

Introduction (0:09)

What does general practices partnership look like at the moment? (0:34)

What key messages would you be giving to new GP partners? (2:41)

What conversations are you having and how are PCN’s impacting practices? (4:00)

How do new GP partners find their place in a new partnership? (5:34)

Ben’s top tips for new GPs partners? (6:50)

How do GP partners avoid the financial tensions? (8:33)

The ‘New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme’ & how their partnership works (13:25)

Feedback from a previous session.. (15:05)

Ben’s recent blog post.. (16:25)

More on the programme.. (17:28)

Managing staff.. (18:03)

Final words.. (20:28)

How to find out more about the ‘New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme’ (21:32)

Access the ‘New to General Practice Partnership Training Programme’ here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

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In May’s monthly Practice Index episode Ben has a full house & is joined by panel regulars, Susi O’Brien & Robyn Clark. Ben, Susi & Robyn are also joined by Claire Houston. They jump straight into discussing  staff wellbeing & retention and its importance within practices. They also discuss how crucial the retention of staff is, how it can be difficult for staff in ‘additional roles’ and what they can do to make a difference to wellbeing & retention in practices. They look into the new ‘QOF’ quality improvement modules and their thoughts on this being introduced. Finally, Susi, Robyn & Claire share their advice for making peer support work within practices and Susi talks through the wellbeing & retention resources that are available (all resources mentioned are linked below).

Introduction (0:27)

Thoughts on the contract focus on wellbeing & retention? (0:42)

Why is it important we look after our staff? (1:45)

Practice managers thoughts on this right now.. (3:00)

Retaining staff.. (3:25)

What can we do about it? (3:53)

Difficulty with ‘additional roles’ (5:26)

Learning from the wider HR community.. (6:27)

What can make the biggest difference? Susi’s thoughts.. (7:32)

Claire & Robyns thoughts.. (8:47)

QOF quality improvement modules… (11:06)

Robyns thoughts.. (12:54)

Making the most of the opportunity (13:37)

Difference between the 2 approaches to wellbeing.. (15:39)

Starting with an organisation wellbeing approach.. (17:43)

3 elements.. (18:30)

Experience with peer support networks.. (21:10)

Advice for making it work? (22:30)

Support & resources available.. (23:31)

‘QOF’, quality improvement modules (linked here)

To visit the Practice Index website, click here or contact James Dillon here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.