Car parks are outside the building (usually) and so come under the spotlight twice a day, and one of these times is when you are leaving! So what are the issues?Who is responsible for the practice car park?Car parks, or more precisely cars, are a major workplace hazard...
Many Practices Managers are discussing whether or not they should promote their Practices on Social Media platforms. With the NHS, CCGs and CQC now expanding into the social media sphere it seems like a logical step for GP Practices...
Ed Longridge, practice IT Manager at Chilwell Valley and Meadows Surgeries in Chilwell, Nottingham is part of a team of twelve intrepid amateur cyclists from across the East Midlands who are in training for a gruelling 130 mile coast to coast charity bike ride...
I read on Pulse that the DoH bright spark thinking man has come up with a spanking new idea to turn those happy-time feet-on-the-chair whimsical GP hours into hard-core let’s see another 25 crammed-in patients a day, somewhere between Mrs Persistent’s feet and...
On 25 June 2013 the following will come into force:- the new tribunal procedural rules changes to whistleblowing laws (introducing a public interest element, removing the requirement that the disclosure must be made in good faith, imposing vicarious liability on employers for...
We all know that on occasion an employee’s work performance can suffer. This can happen for a variety of different reasons, from ill health to lack of job application i.e.“the cannot be bothered attitude”, to not having the skills to undertake the role .So what do you do...
There are a huge amount of pressures on practice managers at present – CQC, New QOF, loss of the PCT and all the support they gave and getting to grips with how the new CCGs will impact upon the practice. The ability to motivate, influence and get people on board with changes...
As you will have heard, there is an outbreak of measles in South Wales, centred on the Swansea area. Since the outbreak occurred in November, the total number of reported cases has now passed 800 and the first death as a result of suspected measles has occurred...
Northern Irish GP Practices were officially informed on 3rd April that an agreement had been reached between NIGPC and DHSSPSNI regarding the 2013/14 GP GMS contract. The key points of the GMS contract update are: 1.5% increase in pay and expenses...
The controversial proposal to create a new tier of worker has resurfaced despite the majority of the House of Lords recently voting against the proposals relating to employee shareholders. The House of Commons have voted in favour of creating a new “Employee Shareholder” status...
What happens when you get the dreaded phone call giving you 48 hours notice of a CQC inspection? Firstly – don’t panic! Evidence from the pilot visits and dental practices shows that the CQC inspectors are mostly normal people who just want to do their job well...
Off-site records storage specialist and First Practice Management advertiser Niche Health solve a storage problem for Worcester Street Surgery. Worcester Street Surgery is a 10 partner (22 Doctor) General Practice in Stourbridge, West Midlands serving the needs of...
First Practice Management hosted a packed session at the Imperial War museum in Manchester with the aim of helping managers to prepare for the CQC Visit – which could happen this month – or might not take place for another two years. The event provided managers with...
So “GP leaders” (whoever they might be) are now jumping up and down about the lack of premises funding to support new initiatives, especially those migrating from secondary care to the overburdened GP population.This is hardly news – where have they been for the last 6 or 7 years?..
RTI (Real Time Information) requirements were in force from 6th April 2013, requiring employers to provide HMRC with payroll information at the time of the payrun. If you have less than 50 employees HMRC have now agreed a temporary relaxation for small employers...
Employers are not expected to keep a sick employee’s job open indefinitely, however it is necessary to follow a fair procedure to manage a long-term sickness absence situation. If you proceed towards a dismissal you will potentially have to show that the dismissal was justified...
It’s Friday lunchtime in the staffroom. The rep’s left a selection of goodies from M&S in exchange for 15 minutes with the doctors. The mood is relaxed and good humoured - there are enough cakes to go round twice. The conversation meanders through last night’s...
I was recently at the Commissioning live conference in Leeds. It was somewhat worrying that a show of hands in the 500-strong audience showed a lack of bodies looking forward to the commissioning change from April. Equally worrying was the next show of hands...
It’s hard to believe that First Practice Management Group is celebrating their 10th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, members of the Group got together and had a celebration with lunch and a delicious cake - courtesy of Emilie Stokoe, Customer Services Representative at SRCL...
It started with a text. 11.45pm on November 26th 2012. It said, 'just to let you know there are flood warnings for the A5'. This is the road I normally travel via to work. I live in North Wales, not only that but I live in the wettest part of Wales, 45 minutes away from work...