Month: May 2017

Workforce issues consistently appear the near top of lists of problems facing general practice.

GP Trainees and First5s look their more senior colleagues and see some of them struggling to cope with workload and stress. The pressure to do all they can to find the right job for them, at the right practice, is felt keener than ever.

Practices are finding it difficult to fill positions, particularly partnership roles. Many fear that they may become unsustainable if they cannot recruit to replace those retiring or moving on.

---

In this video I talk to a group of First5 and ST3 GP registrars about the process of finding and securing a good post.

If you are a new, or not so new, GP searching for a job then I hope the presentation will be useful.

For practices looking to recruit, the discussion and questions from new GPs offer an interesting insight into the their concerns and priorities. These might help you also in your search for the right candidate.

---

In the video, we cover:

• Deciding what your dream job actually looks like
• Assessing GP job adverts
• Informal visits
• CVs
• Covering letters
• Interviews
• Negotiating salary and terms

For more videos from the RCGP Vale of Trent Transitions2017 Conference, click here.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please share with friends and colleagues, click here to follow me on twitter and leave a comment below.

Remember to sign up for free updates when I post new material using the “Subscribe To” box in the top right of the site.

On Friday 12th May NHS IT and communication systems up and down the UK were shut down as Hospitals and GP surgeries fell victim to a ransomware attack on their computer systems. Staff were presented with a screen stating that their files had been encrypted and demanded $300 in Bitcoins, an online currency, in order to make the data usable again. The virus spread quickly across the heavily networked but aging NHS infrastructure. Affected organisations gave the order to shut down all IT systems to halt the spread and large parts of the NHS lost all telephone and computer systems as they were returned to the world of pen and paper.

At my surgery in Nottingham, we were without computer systems for three working days. Being under “cyber attack” was an interesting experience.

The effect of losing multiple systems all at once was extremely disruptive. To make matters worse, our IT support and CCG also lost the use of their phones, email and computers at the same time. It was impossible to report problems upward, communicate with our colleagues or receive instructions about how to react or respond.

However, we in General Practice and the NHS are an adaptable bunch. It was only a matter of minutes before we were handwriting on the paper from our printers and dusting off the BNFs. Reception did a great job of recreating our appointment ledger on a white board. Patients were understanding. Staff turned to social media and news websites on their phones for information. Before long people across the system were finding alternative ways of communicating, using mobile phone numbers, facebook, twitter and personal emails to cascade information and coordinate our response. Our staff even drove around neighbouring practices to inform them of the instructions to switch off their IT.

Continue reading “NHS Cyber Attack! – 5 things I learned”

I recently came to a disturbing realisation.

I am no longer a “new” GP.

It happened after I was facilitating a session at an event focused on supporting ST3 GPs as they transition into the workforce after GP training. A GP Registrar approached a colleague and I…

“We feel worried. We are looking to those ahead of us in our careers to see what you are doing about the government proposals for 8-8 working. We don’t see any action. Hospital doctors mounted a coordinated campaign against contractual changes. You don’t seem to be doing anything about it. Where is the resistance?”

I paused for a moment… I can calm his fears and provide some reassurance, I thought. It feels to me that in my area we have been doing a lot in anticipation of the push for 8-8 access. Of course, he probably just isn’t aware of it…

“Well”, I said, “Practices have come together and formed a federation. Essentially a company owned collectively by the practices. We have put together a proposal, based on available details of the likely service specifications, to tender for the 8-8 working. The intention is to deliver the service in a way that minimises negative impacts on practices and GPs who cannot, or choose not to, be involved, whilst enabling those practices and staff who are interested in being paid for the extra work to do so. Maximising the potential for improving patient access whilst minimising negative impacts on patients, practices and care.”

He appears unconvinced.

Continue reading “The next generation of GPs are here”