24
jan
0

Podcast – Practice Index – Workforce planning and resilience

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Our Practice Index panel return and this week, podcast regulars Robyn Clark and Nicola Davies reflect on the workforce challenges in the year ahead (and beyond) both in their own, immediate areas of influence and across primary care in general. From assessing the situation right now, to recruitment and retention planning for the future, getting the best out of staff and supporting others in the networks – and the effect of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), our pro Practice Managers share their experiences (and their expertise) and tell us why their aim is to focus on the positive in 2022.

Introductions (0:40)

Staffing levels right now (0:46)

The challenges ahead (1:16)

Robyn’s strategy for 2022 (2:43)

Has Covid had an impact on the expectations of existing and prospective staff? (4:15)

Reflecting on the positive effects of the pandemic (6:30)

Attracting new staff (7:08)

A focus on the rewarding aspects of general practice employment (8:59)

Do workforce pressures = poor network relations? (11:14)

What happens when another practice is struggling? (13:52)

Turning the “PCN problem” on its head (16:22)

Workforce planning in the time of ARRS (17:28)

Building resilience for the future (20:17)

 

The Practice Index website is here

For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here

17
jan
0

Podcast – Naj Seedat – What you need to know if you’re new to GP Partnership…

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After a short hiatus for the festive break, the Ockham podcast is back, and kicking off 2022 with a focus on those considering and/ or beginning life as a new GP Partner. Ben, along with senior GP and podcast veteran Dr Naj Seedat, discuss the key factors when considering signing up to GP partnership, what you can expect from partnership (and dealing with the unexpected), the demands and the rewards – and what Naj has learned in his own 21-year journey. And for those feeling that they may need more formal learning, and the option to tap into a peer network of support? Ben and Naj also share their insights into our very own New to General Practice Partnership training programme which is open for enquiries and sign up now.

Introduction – and all about Naj (0:09)

Making the decision to move into partnership (0:45)

Early experiences (2:17)

The pressure of responsibility (3:13)

Lessons learned so far (3:59)

Building relationships (4:55)

Reflections on what might have been helpful to a new GP Partner when starting out (5:30)

What are the essential components for a successful partnership team? (6:56)

Maintaining successful communication within a practice (7:44)

The role of the Practice Manager in relation to the Partnership (9:56)

Then and now (11:31)

Where do new GP Partners feel support is most needed? (12:29)

The New to General Practice Partnership training programme; how we can help (14:38)

The challenges faced in both smaller and larger partnership teams (15:48)

Balancing leadership and management (17:03)

Naj’s top tips (18:03)

The importance of doing your due diligence (19:09)

 

To find out more about the New to General Practice Partnership training programme, our dedicated webpage is here. Alternatively, both Ben and Naj are happy to receive email queries directly.

13
dec
0

Podcast – Tom Holdsworth & Julia Clifford – Supporting frailty in Sheffield

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Frailty and the introduction of a targeted service to better meet the needs of those living locally with frailty issues was high on the agenda of Townships 1 PCN Clinical Director and GP Dr Tom Holdsworth. Once CCG funding had been successfully secured, the challenge to recruit a clinical project lead was proving tricky and Tom was eventually convinced by a colleague that an Occupational Therapist, in the form of Julia Clifford, might be the answer. One year on from Julia’s appointment and following a formal evaluation of the service, both Tom and Julia join Ben to discuss all aspects of the transformative approach they are taking in Sheffield to support their frail populations. From Tom’s initial concerns about whether an OT could provide what was needed, to the service specification and what Julia can offer, working collaboratively with the other additional roles team, and the service evaluation findings, this week’s episode is another truly inspirational offering to round off the 2021 podcast series.

Introductions (0:26)

The origins of ‘Townships 1’ PCN (0:38)

How was the service first introduced? (0:58)

Why a project focused on supporting frailty? (2:57)

The story behind recruiting an Occupational Therapist (OT) for the project role (3:59)

Preconceptions of what an OT could offer (4:43)

What attracted Julia to the role? (5:08)

Evaluating progress to date (5:57)

What are the most common scenarios and interventions? Where is Julia able to make the biggest impact? (8:08)

Alignment with the PCN’s ARRS strategy (9:58)

Making the most of the ARRS funding pot (10:52)

Formal service evaluation findings (12:03)

Are the practices feeling the impact? (13:45)

The risk of uncovering unmet need (14:25)

Continuing to progress amongst competing demands (14:54)

Working towards the anticipatory care specification (16:46)

Lessons learned from Julia’s perspective (18:29)

The full, published evaluation of the frailty project can be found here.

If you are interested in learning more, Tom and Julia are very happy to be contacted via their respective emails.

6
dec
0

Podcast – Practice Index – Preparing for the April 2022 financial changes (and challenges)

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April 2022 marks a significant turning point in terms of finances for both employers and employees within primary care, as changes to the National Living Wage are made, the new Health and Social Care Levy comes into force and there are additional implications for those paying into the NHS Pensions Scheme. Regular podcast guest and primary care accountancy guru James Gransby returns to walk us through all the updates and what these could mean in real terms for practices and staff as individuals. James is joined by Practice Index panel members Nicola Davies and Claire Houston who reflect on the significance of the changes, how they can best prepare themselves (and their staff) as Practice Managers, and how they might mitigate the risks, and the knock on effect, on the ground.

Introductions (0:30)

Changes to the National Living Wage (1:00)

The Health and Social Care Levy (1:38)

The knock-on effect on employers and employees (2:32)

Impact from a practice perspective (3:07)

Nicola’s reaction / pressure on staff (4:12)

Claire’s views / benchmarking performance in line with finance (6:09)

Implications for recruitment (7:41)

How can we make our vacancies more attractive to potential applicants? (8:49)

Pitting practice against practice (9:41)

Pensions changes in summary (10:53)

The effect of the McCloud Judgement (11:40)

Reviewing personal pensions choices (12:13)

How can we ensure everyone is aware of what’s coming? (16:12)

Where accountancy firms can help (18:05)

Will the additional costs be considered centrally? (19:17)

Contractual pressures (20:21)

Communication is key (21:43)

What else do we need to be aware of right now? (23:17)

The Practice Index benchmarking tool Claire mentioned can be found here

The Practice Index website is here

For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here

29
nov
0

Podcast – Paul Gordon – NHS Pensions…. reloaded!

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There have been some notable developments in the NHS pensions world since we last caught up with expert Paul Gordon in the spring of 2020. Luckily, Paul is back to bring us up to speed and to explain in simple terms where things have changed, the impact of a highly publicised age discrimination case, what the changes mean in practice for GPs and primary care staff on the ground, the key considerations for individuals based on their circumstances and most importantly, making sure those eligible are able to access the annual allowance related government endorsed compensation scheme, the deadline for this and how to determine eligibility. Listen now for a full overview of all the crucial pensions need to knows, and where to go to find out more.

Introduction (0:09)

The main developments and changes, in summary (0:40)

The McCloud judgement (1:46)

Th resulting impact of the age discrimination case findings (2:08)

A choice of two sets of benefits (3:46)

Why would I opt into the newer scheme? (5:30)

Remaining in the ‘original’ scheme (6:39)

Determining retirement age and associated options at that time (9:08)

Retirement age and the McCloud judgement (10:42)

Transition to the new scheme and what this means in real terms (13:00)

Being mindful of the annual allowance… (14:28)

Annual allowance tax charges (16:06)

Claiming compensation for annual allowance excess tax charges (17:22)

Who is eligible for compensation? (18:31)

‘The remedy period’ and what this means for individual contributions, allowances & benefits (19:19)

Outlining the key differences between old and new pension schemes (20:16)

What employers should be aware of (21:18)

Finding out more (22:54)

 

To request the last 7 years’ worth of annual allowance growth figures, please ring NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBA) on 0300 330 1346.

The deadline for compensation claims relating to the 19/20 tax year and the annual allowance tax charge growth and excess payments is 11 February 2022. Claimants will need to complete a Scheme Pays Election form (available via Primary Care Support England) and a compensation form. Further information can be found here.

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