Health and Safety legislation requires that if an employee is feeling under stress due to work/work environment, the employer must take steps to rectify the situation where possible. As an employer you do however have the right to expect that an employee is able to cope...
You might remember my earlier concept of the “DoH bright spark thinking man” - that recurrent and unknown genius in the political machine who controls Jeremy Hunt with his right fore-arm. The latest wonder emerging from the corridors of power is for EVERY DoH civil servant ...
What constitutes good management? Keeping things going without major incident or developing your practice to meet future challenges. For many practice managers, their job is a mixture of both. They are required to take a very hands- on day to day role in ensuring that things run smoothly...
This blog highlights the very varied role we take as practice managers. It isn't all about form filling and target chasing. Well here I am Bank holiday Monday and contemplating the week ahead, and thinking of the past week. The terrible events of Wednesday in Woolwich...
The results are in for the First Practice Management Pay Rise Survey 2013!!! The increase in GP practice funding of 1.32% designed to provide a pay increase of 1% for GPs and a compatible increase for other staff has promoted adverse comments in the press...
There has been much recent publicity about A&E’s being unable to cope with the demand on its services for which many are blaming GP's because they do not provide their own out of hours cover. Recently on the radio 5 breakfast show a professor in emergency medicine...
Most practices organise occasional partners’ away days, strategic planning days and all-practice team building sessions. We believe these events are most successful when run by an external facilitator, allowing the practice manager to participate fully rather than worrying...
Here we are 14 days into the new QOF year and wondering where the last 12 months have gone and what the next 12 months will bring. I suppose we did exactly the same last year. Fortunately, we seem to have done well once again this QOF year...
Following an initial consultation in June 2012, it was agreed by the HSE board that a number of Approved Code of Practices (ACOPs) would be revised in line with the recommendation by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt in his report ‘Reclaiming health and safety for all’...
Why do people talk so much about stress as a new thing? The harmful effect of work related stress has been studied by psychologists since the 1950s.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands...
Scottish QOF Guidance for 2013/14 was issued on 1 May 2013 and an electronic copy of the guidance is on the show website.Indicators across all domains have been renumbered.Indicators that apply to Scotland only, and differ from the rest of the UK have (S) after the indicator number...
On first glance, and perhaps to people external to the industry, it might seem that a GP practice receptionist is no different to a receptionist working in the hospitality or corporate industry environment. However, the reality is that a GP Practice is a very different environmen...
New Regulations implementing EU law (the “Sharps Directive”) come into force across the UK on 11 May 2013. All NHS employers and employees need to be aware of and act upon the additional requirements (over and above existing health and safety legislation)...
Thankfully fraud by practice managers is unusual, but another major incident in Manchester, resulting in a jail sentence, highlights just how much the partners have to rely on the integrity of their staff and management. That is not to say however that there is some invisible line...
Summer holidays… aren’t they fab? They start with the discussion about where and when. Then there is the excitement of poring over the brochures (or, more likely nowadays, trawling the net). Then perhaps a debate about the particular resort/hotel/cottage/campsite...
On 9th April, First Practice Management organised a CQC Roadshow at the Imperial War Museum Manchester. The day saw representatives from over 40 practices attend to find out more about what to expect in a CQC inspection.“I recently attended the FPM CQC road show in Manchester...
The Equality Act 2010 prohibits victimisation in employment, and it also outlaws discrimination and harassment connected to termination of employment, but it also states that the Act does not protect employees from post-employment victimisation...
In England we are monitoring the MMR situation carefully. We have not seen any upsurge at our surgery for the MMR vaccination nor heard of any panic or upsurge within our locality. We have always had a robust system in place of ensuring our children get the MMR vaccination...