A recent blog detailed a huge response to the question of why so many Practice Managers are thinking of leaving their jobs. But what would make them stay and what needs to happen in order to change the minds of the potential 39% of PMs who said in a survey earlier this year that they were giving serious thought to quitting the job? Responses to a thread on this issue show there are many ways of tackling the problem, albeit with no guarantees that they will work. Nevertheless, Practice Managers are offering potential solutions to the problems they’re facing. Changes needed Red tape and fr ..read more

Most GP practices have a uniform or dress code policy. It’s such an ordinary part of working life that we rarely consider what, if any, legal rules or principles apply to the way we dress. Every now and again, though, it’s good to have a reminder of topics like this, so today’s blog will run through several common issues relating to uniforms and dress. Dress code or uniform – what’s the difference? This is a harder question to answer than you’d think! There’s no absolute distinction between the two in legal terms. However, a dress code is generally understood to be something that gives guidan ..read more

Yes, I really have! I’ve travelled south, with the birds, for some winter sun. 2,318 miles south to be exact (thank you, Google!). I’ve waited a long time for this break, and it’s finally time to unwind. Florida to the left of me, the Sahara to the right … stuck in the middle with you... well, with my husband actually! How many of you are singing the Stealers Wheel classic now, eh? #Earworm, you’re welcome! Yes, we’ve come away for ten days of sun, sand and sleep! My hubby has been under the weather for some time and we didn’t escape to the sun last year, mostly because he went “under the kni ..read more

Appointments reach record high Practice appointments reached a record high in October. Practices delivered 41.3 million appointments in the month, three million more than 12 months earlier, itself a record, according to new NHS England data. At the same time, data showed general practice working in England with fewer fully qualified GPs than a decade earlier. In September 2015, there were 28,590 whole time equivalent doctors working in general practice compared with 27,519 in October this year. The Royal College of GPs said practices now deliver 30% more appointments than five years ago. Chai ..read more

A summary of the HR and H&S updates issued in November 2024. HR Updates Amber alerts Male employee subjected to baldness-related slur during argument with colleague wins harassment claim Employee wins unfair dismissal case after accidentally insulting customer Employment Appeal Tribunal tightens rules regarding holiday underpayments Green alerts Ex-employee with a ‘conspiracy-theory mentality’ loses all tribunal claims H&S Updates Amber alerts Keep safe at work as the nights draw in The post HR and H&S Updates – November 2024 appeared first on GP Practice Management Blog ..read more

Primary care is facing another storm on the horizon with significant numbers of Practice Managers on the verge of leaving – many citing deep dissatisfaction with their job, low morale and burnout. All of the roughly 9,000-strong workforce of Practice Managers in the UK know how challenging the job can be, despite its obvious rewards of being part of a team that helps to provide good healthcare for patients. A survey from earlier this year found that 39% of Practice Managers said they were thinking of leaving their job within the next 12 months – a worryingly high rate. It seems as if those le ..read more

Recent articles, including this previous blog from Practice Index, have highlighted the growing challenges caused by pharmacy closures and industrial action. Yet for the 10% of surgeries that are also dispensing practices, the financial pressures are already acute, and their struggles often go unnoticed. What is a dispensing practice? A dispensing practice is a GP surgery that, in addition to providing medical care, is licensed to dispense medications directly to patients, primarily in rural areas where access to community pharmacies is limited (as they’re not financially viable). These pract ..read more

We’ve added some new features to the Salary Calculator [FREE] in the HUB. You can now save a number of different scenarios and compare your results We’ve added a handy ‘Baseline’ figure so you can easily copy and make changes from the same starting point You can now also tailor National Insurance or pension contribution… The post Salary Calculator – New features appeared first on GP Practice Management Blog ..read more

AI the key to solving appointment problems Practice appointments should be allocated by AI, according to a think-tank. The Social Market Foundation said that AI should be used across the public sector for complex tasks, and that practices would benefit the most. According to the Foundation’s report, supported by government minister Feryal Clark MP, more than 90% of appointments could be allocated by AI. It says there are already promising trials of this technology and that it could cut patient waiting times at practices by 73% and halve delays at peak times. Researcher Sam Robinson said: “Pub ..read more

You’ll have seen in the press lately a lot of attention being paid to the National Insurance and National Living Wage increases being introduced from April 2025. GP surgeries are particularly concerned about this as there has been no confirmation of increases to our funding to support these rising costs. The Government and Treasury have confirmed we are not “NHS bodies”; we are private companies. However, not private enough to be able to obtain the same relief on the National Insurance increase that other private, small businesses can... because we are NHS organisations. So, which is it? Schr ..read more