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.

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.

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.

The Employments Rights Bill is a new bill proposed by the Labour Government that is currently going through Parliament. The Bill is expected to become law by the end of 2025, which means important law changes are coming.

"Since retiring I've had more time to follow what’s going on in the NHS and can comment more freely, as I have no allegiance to any one or any organisation. Two recent announcements in particular will have an impact on Primary Care; here are my thoughts," writes our Retired Practice Manager correspondent.

The budget delivered on 30th October was a bumper one (you can read it here on the gov.uk site), but although she spoke for an hour and twenty minutes, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves said surprisingly little about the NHS or general 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.

Well, no one can accuse the new Government of dragging their feet. They seem to have hit the ground running with announcements and action to address the long-term issues across the NHS.

In this HR article we have provided a summary of the changes to statutory entitlement rates for employees in the UK which will come into effect in April 2024. 

The new contract for 2024/5 has just been announced for the NHS and General Practice. The view on different platforms is… that it will make only a tiny difference to practices. I can't agree with that, though. In my view, it is going to make a huge difference to practices and patients, and we cannot ignore it.