19
jul
0

Podcast – Dustyn Saint – Game changing tech in general practice

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accuRx have been hailed as the overwhelming success story of the Covid crisis, with a rapid deployment of much needed virtual tech into practices up and down the country and enabling primary teams to maintain high quality care for their patients. Ben is joined on this week’s podcast by GP and IT champion Dustyn Saint of Primary Care Pathways, to discuss the accuRx journey, what their breakout success has meant for general practice and how their influence is likely to extend beyond the pandemic.

Introductions (0:35)

Primary Care Pathways (0:44)

When did Dustyn first hear about accuRx? (1:33)

Text messaging (1:58)

How does the accuRx messaging service work alongside existing clinical systems? (3:28)

What other features does the messaging tool offer? (4:06)

A “game changing” video consultation service and its effect on general practice during the pandemic (4:49)

A comparison with previous video consultation applications (5:54)

How easy was it for colleagues and staff to adapt to using the accuRx systems? (6:56)

Widespread adoption across general practice (7:41)

Working with other providers and additional functionality (8:08)

Are virtual consults here to stay? (8:35)

The effect of tech on managing care going forwards (9:21)

Remote monitoring (10:38)

A turning point for primary care? (11:30)

The accuRx journey (12:10)

accuRx financial model and the procurement process (12:53)

A comparison against other business models; past and present (14:08)

The impact on working practices and benefits to patients (14:04)

Security and governance (15:37)

GP testimonial (16:38)

What’s next for Primary Care Pathways? (16:58)

Getting in touch (18:11)

For more information on Primary Care Pathways and making direct contact with Dustyn:

Primary Care Pathways website here

Primary Care Pathways’ first Ockham podcast episode is available here

Contact @PrimaryCareIT / @DustynSaint

12
jul
0

Podcast – Janice Steed – Sustainability in General Practice

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Resilience in primary care has been truly tested by recent events but we are going back to basics on this week’s podcast as we talk to former midwife turned executive coach Janice Steed about why the resilience of a practice and its people is key to its success overall. What are the indicators of a resilient practice, where are the red flags and what are the clear elements that we must consider if we are to make improvements? Janice offers advice, gives her thoughts and shines a light on the Beds and Herts journey, following the introduction of their resilience programme there.

Introductions (0:44)

What inspired Janice to become involved in resilience improvement? (1:16)

The general practice resilience programme in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (1:50)

Why the programme was introduced (2:21)

How the programme began (2:41)

Resilience: key indicators that a practice may be struggling (4:03)

Practice versus personal resilience (5:47)

Engaging the whole practice through its individuals (7:30)

The LMC’s role in improving resilience (8:29)

Practical elements for consideration (9:16)

The Beds and Herts resilience programme outline (10:32)

An overview of the programme’s six modules (12:05)

The impact of Covid on general practice resilience (15:28)

PCNs and their influence (15:41)

Getting in touch / further information (17:49)

For more information about Janice, her website is here

Details on the Beds and Herts resilience journey can be found on their LMC website here

5
jul
0

Podcast – Dr Andrew Whittamore & Dr Minal Bakhai – Transforming Primary Care and the impact on chronic disease management

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Covid-19 has presented many challenges for GPs, not least the changes they have had to make to ensure they are able to continue safe and effective management of patients with long term health conditions. This week’s podcast features GP Dr Andrew Whittamore, Clinical Lead at the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership and fellow GP Dr Minal Bakhai, National Clinical Director for Digital First Primary Care, who discuss the impact that the rapid introduction of tech and a more tech based approach in primary care has meant overall but also more crucially, how Covid has been an enabler of increased flexibility and adaptability in meeting patients’ needs – and has presented further opportunities to reach previously untapped patient populations.

Introductions (0:35)

Which of the changes has been most beneficial? (1:01)

A total triage model of care (1:31)

Remote consultations in numbers (2:12)

Using the wider workforce and rapid progress in other areas (3:17)

Remote monitoring and the impact on management of long-term conditions (4:10)

Andy’s experience from Portsdown Group Practice 4:53)

The opportunities presented by Covid (5:54)

Is it Covid that has fundamentally changed general practice or was this already the direction of travel for us? (6:37)

The power of shared purpose and streamlining services (8:24)

How has the shift to digital affected the management of patients with long term conditions? (8:41)

The risks new ways of working may present to patients with asthma and other lung conditions (10:32)

Asthma: the facts (and the ways digital transformation can improve outcomes) (11:44)

What happens next? (14:38)

Continuing the momentum at PCN level (17:45)

The importance of being able to align primary care services to patient lifestyle and preference (18:38)

Getting in touch and further information (19:18)

 

Links for guidance and support in setting up a digital model:

Advice on how to establish a ‘total triage’ model in general practice using online consultations

Health Education England e-learning on remote total triage model in general practice

Principles for safe video consulting during Covid-19

Digital First Primary Care home page: https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/digital-first-primary-care/

Contact Digital First Primary Care: england.digitalfirstprimarycare@nhs.net

 

Specific links related to management of asthma:

Here is the link to all of the asthma uk publications

Specifically digital asthma: reimagining primary care

Minal mentioned this report looking at data sharing and technology exploring the attitudes of people with asthma

asthma.org.uk

blf.org.uk

28
jun
0

Podcast – Tracy Green & Kay Keane – How Covid is Changing General Practice

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The landscape of primary care has altered significantly, and many of the changes practices have made to prioritise patients and protect their staff during the Covid crisis are here to stay. This week’s podcast features Practice Manager Kay Keane and QCS Head of Primary Care Tracy Green, who talk through their experiences of the pandemic, how they have worked together to support the implementation of Alvanley Family Practice’s new systems of working and their thoughts on where we go from here as life returns to the new normal.

Introductions (0:36)

About Alvanley Family Practice and their practice manager, Kay (1:20)

‘Feed the birds’ project (1:40)

Further innovation: group consultations (2:57)

The advantages of Zoom (4:02)

Tracy’s background and experience (4:15)

What have been the biggest challenges for Alvanley? (5:43)

Increased volume of work versus the need to do things differently (6:42)

Changes to the operating model (7:17)

Which new processes would Kay keep? (8:05)

The effect of rapid changes on team dynamics (9:22)

The loss of in-person contact (9:54)

Has general practice changed for the long term? (10:39)

Partnership working with local providers (11:04)

Have we been boosted in some ways? (11:37)

Maintaining momentum during a crisis (12:41)

The QCS response to Covid (14:05)

Who are QCS and what do they do? (16:04)

Governance and general hints and tips (16:59)

The QCS impact on an individual practice (17:33)

Time for reflection (18:06)

Managing the after effects of such a rapid period of change (19:28)

Lessons learned from Tracy’s perspective (20:34)

Further information (21:18)

This week’s podcast has been sponsored by Quality Compliance Systems (QCS)

QCS are offering a free trial to help support practices in embedding their new procedures and processes following the Covid crisis. To find out more, you can visit their website here

Content can also be found via the QCS Facebook general practice discussion group: www.facebook.com/Alvanleyfamilypractice

Additional support in relation to Covid-19 is here

21
jun
0

Podcast – Steven Williams – The role of Pharmacists in General Practice

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With the focus shifting back towards the normality of day to day working, primary care now has scope to reconsider the opportunities presented by the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme in building workforce capacity and to establish further transformative working practices. This week’s spotlight is on the role of the pharmacist and we are fortunate to be joined by the experienced and progressive Steve Williams, who is a Clinical Pharmacist and network lead in his area of expertise based at Westbourne Medical Centre in Dorset. Here, Steve explains how his role fits both at practice and at network level – and gives his advice on making the best use of pharmacy professionals, and the additional roles more broadly, in general practice.

Introductions (0:36)

Steve’s journey to becoming a PCN pharmacist (1:03)

Why a move into general practice? (2:33)

Steve describes the transition from secondary to primary care (3:15)

The key differences (3:44)

What was the practice’s initial reaction to taking on a pharmacist? (4:53)

Embedding new roles; advice on induction and adapting your structures (6:23)

Maximising the impact from a network perspective (7:18)

An opportunity for innovation (9:59)

The role of a pharmacy technician and the skills they can offer (10:50)

Future plans and further expansion (s12:17)

The influence of the DES on utilising new roles (13:50)

How will the role of the pharmacist develop further? (15:28)

Getting in touch (16:42)

Steve is contactable via email, Twitter and through Westbourne Medical Centre:

stevethechemist@onelesspill.com

@stevechemist

https://www.westbournemedical.com/

@BayPcn

The links for the supporting documents Steve references:

Link re “Practice to PCN role – A Pharmacist’s journey” presentation for Dorset CCG PCN Development Event on Understanding and establishing Clinical Pharmacy in PCNs 15th January 2020

https://youtu.be/5O5WFcdZFDM

Structured medication reviews research at WMC

Steve Williams, Lawrence D Brad. Impact of practice based clinical pharmacist led medication reviews on ambulatory patients with hyper polypharmacy. Br J Gen Pract 2018; 68 (suppl 1) https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp18X697097

Viewpoints on pharmacists in primary care published with GP Prescribing lead Dr Lawrence Brad

Williams SD, Hayes JM, Brad LD.  Clinical pharmacists in general practice: a necessity not a luxury? British Journal of General Practice. Br J Gen Pract 2018; 68 (667): 85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp18X694697

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/06/26/time-pharmacist-support-general-practice-improve-medicines-optimisation/

https://bjgplife.com/2020/06/17/clinical-pharmacists-within-primary-care-networks-another-driver-for-collaborative-general-practice/

Useful documents / websites re pharmacy professionals working in primary care RPS Wales Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT) in General Practice

https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%20document%20library/Open%20access/Wales/00215%202001-Welsh-MDT-English-AWD.pdf?ver=2020-02-07-140429-840

PRESQIPP

NHS funded not-for-profit organisation that supports quality, optimized prescribing for patients Virtual Professional Network for pharmacy starting April 2020 (membership required)

https://www.prescqipp.info/news/prescqipp-practice-plus/

Primary Care Pharmacy Association (PCPA)

https://www.pcpa.org.uk/ (membership required)

https://pcpa.org.uk/assets/documents/Guide-for-GPs-considering-employing-pharmacist.pdf

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