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Could the way general practice operates on the other side of the world teach us anything about general practice in Britain? In this podcast (the first in a pair) Ben talks to Helen Parker who was an experienced nurse, manager and academic in England but who has, for the past four years, worked in New Zealand for the Pinnacle network of GP practices. In this podcast Helen discusses how the non-statutory nature of the network influences the way it works, how co-payments in NZ operate and what of this, if anything, might work in the UK.

Show Notes

Helen describes how her career in the NHS led to her move to New Zealand (50secs)

The key differences (and similarities) between general practice in the UK and NZ (2min 25secs)

Could co-payments work in this country? (3mins 32secs)

The impact that co-payments have on patients and practices (4mins 25secs)

The negatives of co-payment (4mins 55secs)

Co-payment makes it difficult to introduce new ways of working (5mins 26secs)

Networks – non-statutory Primary Health Organisations (6mins 41secs)

Merging the functions of the CQC, the support of a federation and part of the commissioning role of the CCG (8mins 02secs)

Governance and conflict of interests (9mins 45secs)

The networks assure quality (11mins 30secs)

The benefits to a practice of being in a network (12mins 39secs)

The size of a network (14mins)

Could the non-statutory network model work in the UK? (14mins 53secs)

Organisational structure should not be the focus (16mins 21secs)

Inviting Helen for Part Two… (17mins 57secs)

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Rebecca Thomas is the Health Service Journal’s lead reporter for primary care. In this podcast Ben reverses traditional roles and questions the questioner. Rebecca tells Ben about how her stories are pursued and put together, she gives advice for GPs in dealing with the media and she looks forward to the likely focus of journalistic interest in the coming months.

Show Notes

Becoming the lead reporter for primary care (1min 09secs)

Perceptions of general practice – “immensely complex” (1min 32secs)

Developing an understanding of primary care (2mins 06secs)

First scoop – cuts to the estates, technology and transformation fund (2mins 42secs)

Perspectives on the GPFV funding (3mins 37secs)

Uncovering stories (4mins 07secs)

Pursuing a tip-off (4mins 55secs)

Getting GPs to talk to the media (5mins 22secs)

Corporate walls (5mins 58secs)

The roll of press offices (6mins 23secs)

Advice to GPs in dealing with the media (7mins 10secs)

Is general practice too negative? (7mins 52secs)

Is access over-prioritised? (8mins 13secs)

Funding for access (8mins 52secs)

What stories are on the horizon – workforce (9mins 40secs)

Stability and new ways of working (10mins 49secs)

Working at scale (11mins 23secs)

The “magic number” of practice size (12mins 20secs)

Feedback from the readership (12mins 35secs)

Fake news and trust (13mins 57secs)

How’s Jeremy Hunt doing? (14mins 39secs)

Getting in touch with Rebecca (15mins 01secs)

Rebecca can be contacted at Rebecca.thomas@wilmingtonhealthcare.com

If you have any thoughts around Ben’s proposals for training new GP partners then please contact him at ben@ockham.healthcare

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In a special Sixtieth Episode of the General Practice Podcast, general practice expert Ben Gowland answers questions sent in by listeners. With the questions chosen and put to Ben by recent “podcastee” Tara Humphrey, he responds on issues ranging from the attractiveness of GP careers, through innovations in patient participation and on to the threat (or otherwise) posed by Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

Show Notes

Introductions – over thirty questions received (46secs)

Question One – from GP of the Year Dr Jonathan Cope:

• Is sustainability with less resources, a pipedream? (1mins 25secs)

Question Two – from Gateshead Practice Manager Sheinaz Stansfield:

• What incentive is there for forward-thinking practices to continue to innovate if they do not receive funding or support from the GPFV initiatives? (3mins 33secs)

Question Three – from Dr Mark Newbold, Managing Director at Our Health Partnership, Birmingham:

• Are STPs a threat to general practice or an opportunity? (6mins 38secs)

Question Four – also from Mark Newbold:

• Is the GMS model of general practice compatible with the leadership for new models of care or will it mean that GPs are marginalised? (10mins)

Question Five – from Jennifer Skillen, Chair of the Patient Participation Group at Romney House Surgery in Tetbury, Gloucestershire:

• How can we get the best out of our patient participation groups? (13mins 57secs)

Question Six – from Dr Jonathan Cope in Plymouth:

• How do we make GP careers attractive again? (17mins 51secs)

If you would be interested in the proposed training for GP partners mentioned in the podcast, contact Ben via email ben@ockham.healthcare