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In this week’s episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome back podcast regulars Claire Houston & Robyn Clark to unpack the realities of the 2026/27 GP contract and what it means for general practice. Claire & Robyn share practical insights into how practices are managing rising expenses, the limitations of current funding allocations, and the increasing challenge of balancing demand with limited resources. They also reflect on wider system issues, including the sustainability of general practice, the risks of shifting workload without adequate funding, and the growing tension between policy expectations and operational reality.

Introduction & Sponsor (0:09)

Immediate Impact of Contract Changes (2:00)

Capacity & Access Funding Changes (9:30)

Barriers to Recruitment & Delivery (10:30)

Advice & Guidance Changes (17:16)

Referral Management & System Pressures (19:09)

QOF & Childhood Immunisations Update (24:23)

Support Available via Practice Index (26:42)

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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In this week’s episode, Ben is joined by Dr Sarah Coope, former GP, mediator and CEO of Wild Monday, to explore one of the most challenging aspects of working in general practice – conflict. Sarah shares why conflict is both inevitable and, when handled well, a positive force within teams, particularly in high-pressure environments like general practice and PCNs. The conversation explores why unresolved conflict is so common, how workload and system complexity contribute, and why avoiding difficult conversations can often make things worse. The episode also highlights the emotional toll of conflict, the importance of psychological and emotional safety, and why one-to-one conversations are often more effective than large group discussions. Finally, Sarah discusses the support available for leaders, including coaching, peer networks and structured development programmes.

Introduction (0:07)

Why conflict is common in general practice (1:15)

The impact of pressure, workload and system complexity (2:27)

Avoiding conflict and why it can be harmful (4:02)

The emotional toll of conflict (5:14)

Handling personal conflict and strong emotions (8:50)

Expressing how situations feel (11:00)

One-to-one vs group conversations (12:36)

Structuring the conversation: HiFIVE model (13:50)

Challenging assumptions and narratives (15:05)

The final part.. (20:06)

Summarising the HIGH5 framework (22:43)

Supporting leaders with conflict (23:03)

Visit the Wild Monday website here.

Access the HiFive model here.

The Shapes Academy Toolkit can be found here.

Access the How To Lead Without Rescuing webinar here.

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

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In this week’s episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome back to the podcast Peter Maynard, Executive Partner at Horfield Health Centre and Ceri Chaplin, Managing Partner at Hereford Medical Group. Following the publication of the 2026/27 GP contract, they discuss the headline changes and what they could mean for general practice. While the announcement highlights new investment, the reality for practices may be more complex, with funding pressures, operational changes and unanswered questions about how the proposals will work in practice.

The conversation explores the implications for practice finances, workforce recruitment, PCNs, advice and guidance, performance management and quality frameworks, alongside the practical challenges managers face when implementing national policy locally.

As always, the details still need to emerge, but this episode provides an early perspective on the potential risks, opportunities and uncertainties facing general practice over the next year.

Introduction (00:49)

Initial reactions to the GP Contract (01:17)

Funding and the headline investment (03:10)

Capacity and Access funding changes (06:39)

Changes to ARRS funding (09:44)

The future of PCNs and neighbourhood working (11:12)

Advice and Guidance becoming core work (13:44)

Increased expectations and performance management (17:58)

QOF changes and obesity management (21:10)

Childhood immunisation targets (22:57)

What happens next? (24:31)

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.