We’re pleased to kick off the new year with a returning guest, Lorenz Kemper, Co-founder and Director of Medlink Solutions. Since his last appearance during the pandemic in 2020, Medlink has achieved remarkable growth and innovation in transforming general practice operations across the UK. In this episode, Lorenz discusses how Medlink has expanded its client base and unveiled an automated recall system integrated with EMIS Web. This breakthrough reduces administrative workloads, increases clinical capacity, and absorbs communication costs, resulting in significant savings and improved efficiency for practices.

Join us to explore how these advancements are reshaping the way practices manage enhanced services.

Introduction (00:08) 

Peak of the pandemic.. (01:38)

What’s happened since then? (02:05) 

How do you manage health checks remotely.. (02:47)

Is this practice focused? (03:41)

What does MedLink do? (05:30)

How have practices found this system? (10:02)

Providing patients with options.. (12:42)

What’s included for each practice? (13:26)

Future plans.. (14:27)

Development of neighbourhood teams (15:24)

Working with secondary care.. (18:01)

Finding out more.. (18:48) 

You can visit the MedLink website here.

You can listen back to Lorenz’ & Ben’s previous episode ‘Online long-term condition reviews using MedLink’ here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

In this week’s episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome back Claire Houston & Kay Keane, they explore the financial challenges that general practices are facing in light of recent budget changes. Practices are grappling with significant costs, and the fear of potential staff reductions looms large. They highlight the ongoing financial strain on practices, emphasising the gap between headline funding figures and the real growth in income. They reflect on the emotional and practical struggles faced by healthcare workers amidst rising operational costs. The lack of clear communication from governing bodies only adds to the difficulty of managing budgets effectively. This episode paints a vivid picture of the challenging landscape that general practices navigate while striving to maintain service standards.

Introduction (00:09) 

The impact on practices (02:51) 

Finances for practices (04:22) 

Is there time? (07:41)

Is it going to get resolved.. (09:10)

IGPMs reaction (12:03)

Collective action (14:15)

A difficult period.. (16:43) 

How do you see it playing out? (22:02)

The salary calculator (23:32) 

To visit the Practice Index website, click here or contact James Dillon here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Join Ben in this solo episode as he explores the rapidly changing landscape of general practice and primary care networks. With the five year contract ending in March, is general practice facing significant financial challenges and an uncertain future? Ben explores the potential shift towards a neighbourhood based model of healthcare integration. As Primary Care Networks take a backseat, the focus shifts to integrated neighbourhood teams, designed to deliver seamless, holistic care. He also discusses the implications for Integrated Care Boards and the critical need for strong organisational infrastructure to support this transformation. Listen in as Ben navigates the challenges and opportunities, pondering what the future holds for general practice..

The changing landscape for primary care networks and for GP practices (0:09)

Contract limbo situation (0:22) 

The Fuller Report (02:08)

Integrated neighborhood teams (03:49)

The Darzi report.. (06:09)

GP contracts needs to have some major reform (07:14)

Think tank.. (08:00)

‘Working Better Together in Neighbourhoods’ Report (08:54)

The job of ICB’s (10:48)

PCNs.. (11:31)

Introduction of neighbourhoods (12:57)

What does all this mean? (14:20)

Relationships in your local area (17:14)

Taking on leadership roles for cross organisational working.. (18:11)

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

This week, Ben is joined by former colleague, Adrian McCourt, to explore groundbreaking innovations in general practice health services. Adrian shares his transformative work from the past three years, focusing on how addressing social determinants of health can enhance healthcare outcomes. He highlights the challenges and impacts of tackling issues like housing, finances, and social networks, particularly for frail patients who experience frequent hospital readmissions. The episode concludes with Adrian offering practical advice on implementing these innovations in various settings, providing a roadmap for those looking to pursue similar initiatives. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into driving innovation in general practice.

Introduction (00:09) 

How did the project come about? (00:46)

Social determinants.. (02:04)

Influences.. (02:21)

Population health management (03:41)

Making a difference.. (05:04)

Seeing a difference.. (08:57) 

Demonstrating the difference.. (10:34)

The costs involved (14:24)

The future.. (18:36) 

Getting in touch.. (22:02)

Visit Sodexo’s website here, or get in touch with Adrian via email here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Primary care leader Dr Tom Holdsworth returns to the podcast, bringing his wealth of experience from Sheffield's dynamic healthcare scene. This episode uncovers how his team embraced an NHS England pilot with a mix of enthusiasm and cautious optimism, aiming to revolutionise data accuracy and effectiveness in primary care.

Eager to innovate, Tom explores strategic approaches to data collection and capacity building, he sheds light on the importance of establishing consistent baselines and the potential for debunking myths around general practice funding through transparent data. Our conversation also paves the way for a richer understanding of frailty care expansion and the integration of neighbourhood teams to enhance emergency services coordination. Looking ahead, they delve into the promising future of the GP programme, with plans for new staff appointments and expanded capacity. Join us as we anticipate the transformative impact this will have on patient care and eagerly await future outcomes.

Introduction (00:09) 

Tom’s roles.. (00:23) 

The focus.. (02:01)

The NHS England PCN Pilot Scheme.. (02:58) 

10% increase in capacity.. (07:31)

The impact of data overtime.. (09:03)

Investing in General Practice (10:29) 

The future of the pilot.. (17:33)

Support throughout the pilot (18:41) 

Results from the pilot.. (19:51)

Listen to Tom’s previous episode here - ‘Supporting frailty in Sheffield’.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Could the future of rural healthcare be at risk? Join us as we welcome Nicola Davies, Matthew Isom & Ed Kennedy to discuss the pressing challenges confronting dispensing practices in rural areas. These practices, crucial for providing medication to patients living far from pharmacies, are battling rising drug costs and inadequate reimbursements. 

Hear how once profitable operations are now facing financial strain, threatening essential healthcare services for communities who depend on them. Tune in to understand why national level resolutions are crucial to preventing health inequalities and preserving essential services for rural communities.

Introduction (00:08)

The 1.6kilometre rule.. (01:34) 

Challenges dispensing practices are facing.. (02:10) 

A third are operating at a loss.. (05:42) 

Does dispensing activity subsidise core service delivery? (07:51) 

Reports.. (19:06) 

What needs to change? (20:58)

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Join Ben as he explores the new primary care patient safety strategy released in September, with expert Laura Marshall, Co-Founder L&L Consultancy Group and senior associate at Oliver and Company. This episode uncovers the strategy's potential to revolutionise patient safety in general practice and addresses the challenges and opportunities it presents. 

Ben & Laura highlight the need for a different culture where staff can report incidents without fear of blame. By fostering trust and confidence through effective communication of outcomes and changes, they aim to encourage comprehensive reporting and learning within general practices. Don't miss Laura's enthusiasm and willingness to engage with listeners for more in-depth discussions on these crucial topics.

Introduction (00:09) 

Patient Safety Strategy (00:37)

Not reporting issues.. (01:13)

Learning, not blaming (04:41)

How to implement these changes? (07:02)

Who does this fall on? (08:14)

What difference will practices see? (10:22)

Overcoming the fear.. (11:41)

Feedback on reporting.. (15:19)

Implementing this into practices (16:51) 

Additional resources? (19:11)

What will be different? (20:24) 

The CQC (21:57) 

Getting in touch.. (24:47)

Contact Laura directly via email here, or find Laura on LinkedIn here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

In this week’s episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome James Gransby and Ceri Chaplin. They join Ben to discuss the implications of the recent budget on general practice, sharing concerns about how these changes could significantly impact practice finances. They highlight the projected cost increase for employing someone on minimum wage next year, illustrating the financial pressures facing GP practices. The episode further explores the funding challenges general practice managers face, focusing on the gap between rising staff salaries and insufficient funding. The episode emphasises the need for more clarity and planning to ensure primary care can effectively manage resources amidst these financial uncertainties.

If you'd like to come to Guidelines Live (free for practice management staff), simply click here and ensure you select 'Practice Management' in the profession field. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] to secure your ticket.

Introduction (00:08) 

The budget (00:50)

The two big changes.. (01:48)

The changes to the National Living Wage? (03:15)

Impact on practices (03:45)

Another rise, unfunded or underfunded? (04:08)

Calculations about the impact on practices. (04:37)

Has general practice been caught in the crossfire? (05:26)

The offset.. (06:35) 

The partnership model.. (08:39) 

What are the other impacts from the budget? (10:37) 

Could partners leave sooner? (12:30)

Practice premises upgrade.. (13:37) 

The future is looking promising.. (14:37)

The local community (15:20) 

Key takeaways (17:33)

Advice & final thoughts.. (20:53) 

To visit the Practice Index website, click here or contact James Dillon here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Join Ben as he brings together pensions expert Paul Gordon and accountant James Gransby to explore the recent changes in NHS pensions. They discuss the aftermath of the age discrimination case and its consequences following the government's loss, which has resulted in revised pension statements for many NHS members.

The discussion delves into the complexities of NHS pension figures and annual allowance returns, highlighting the challenges faced by both individuals and practices. They emphasise the importance of using medical specialist accountants to ensure accuracy in submissions.

Join Paul and James for this dynamic discussion and how to prepare yourself with the knowledge to tackle these pension challenges, and those dreaded brown envelopes, with confidence.

To join the session Paul & James are running at 8am on the 31st October, the invite can be accessed here.

Meeting ID: 372 708 777 60

Passcode: UHL7CW

Introduction (00:09) 

The update (00:57) 

Updated statements (02:09)

Making a choice.. (04:00)

Rollback? (05:12)

Why is it not available on the website? (06:28) 

The brown envelope (07:29) 

What do you need to do? (08:37)

January deadline.. (10:48)

What’s happened since the brown envelope delivery? (11:28)

Changing schemes.. (15:31)

Summary.. (16:30)

The inside scoop.. (18:01) 

Budget breakfast & how to attend (24:11) 

The HMRC tool mentioned by James, ‘Calculate your public service pension adjustment’, can be accessed here.

 To contact James directly, his email can be found here, or visit James’ bio on the Azets website here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Join Ben this week, with guest Joe McManners, a GP in Oxford, as they explore the challenges and potential solutions for enhancing primary and community care within the NHS. They tackle the provocative notion that a sudden influx of funding into primary care might not yield the desired outcomes without the necessary structures and capacity. Drawing insights from the Darcy report, they discuss the persistent issues plaguing the NHS and the historical difficulties of transitioning resources from hospital care to community-based care. They also explore the ongoing debate within general practice about expanding services versus adhering to current boundaries. Tune in for a discussion that underscores the need for stability and long-term planning in the evolving landscape of primary care.

Introduction (00:09) 

The Health Service Journal (00:53)

Going back to the 90s.. (02:34)

What's needed to make it different this time? (03:54)

Examples of this approach working (06:12)

Capacity in the community (07:45) 

Future structures? (09:38) 

What do we mean by a neighbourhood? (10:44) 

Integral structures.. (13:20) 

Capital investment.. (14:27)

Policy agenda (16:47)

New government, new investments? (19:31) 

What do we need to see in the next year? (20:45) 

The future of PCNs.. (22:16)

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.