If you work in general practice, you’ll know that some days feel like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle… on a treadmill. We’re expected to deliver excellent patient care, manage teams, stay compliant, keep morale up, and still find time for “strategic planning.” PCN and Practice Manager Tom Hewitt explains how just two areas quietly make or break a practice...

The prestigious FPM Practice Management Salary Survey is back! It has been a year of change and challenge, and as ever we are keen to keep our finger on the pulse with the latest trends in pay and other areas which affect our practice manager clients.

In this monthly report, FPM looks in detail at what the CQC have publicly reported from some of their GP practice inspections during January 2025. Only the most notable/useful comments are selected for readers from amongst thousands. We highlight some of the behaviours that won practices Outstanding ratings, and the reasons some practices were scored Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. Do you recognise any of the observations the CQC picked up, either good or bad?

I’ve had cause recently to use several NHS services — GP appointments, hospital visits, the lot. And one thing really struck me. Many of the doctors and nurses who looked after me were from overseas. I want to be absolutely clear: this isn’t a criticism. In fact, it’s the opposite.

At MSW Digital, we’re passionate about supporting GP practices with websites that are simple, compliant, and patient friendly. Now, we’re excited to bring this expertise directly to Scotland.

Winter has once again exposed the pressures that sit just beneath the surface of the NHS. Since mid‑December, the familiar combination of flu, Covid, norovirus and cold weather has collided with workforce shortages and industrial action. None of this is unexpected, but this year the impact feels sharper.

In this monthly report, FPM looks in detail at what the CQC have publicly reported from their GP practice inspections during December 2025. Only the most notable/useful comments are selected for readers from amongst thousands. We highlight some of the behaviours that won practices Outstanding ratings, and the reasons some practices were scored Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. Do you recognise any of the observations the CQC picked up, either good or bad?