In this week's episode, Ben is joined by three guests, Veena Aggarwal, Aarti Bansal & Alastair Jackson. Together they discuss the Greener Practice Community, healthcare professionals working together to inspire sustainable primary care. Aarti explains the Greener Practice Network and the ‘one-stop hub’ website and how like-minded individuals can join. The podcast also focuses on asthma, particularly in relation to inhalers and the toolkit on offer to help reduce the environmental impacts of inhalers. 

Introduction (0.08)

How Aarti Bansal got into sustainability.. (0.28)

How Alastair Jackson got into sustainability.. (1.05)

How Veena Aggarwal got into sustainability.. (1.54)

Greener Practice Network & what’s involved (2.34)

The focus on inhalers in relation to sustainability (5.07)

Asthma toolkit (6.40)

The use of the Asthma toolkit.. (8.03)

Where to find the toolkit  (8.53)

The implementation of the toolkit.. (9.29)

Training & protocols for Asthma clinics (11.04)

Obstacles to overcome when implementing the toolkit? (13.32)

What barriers are in the way of the implementation? (15.32)

What do you need to drive the change? (18.33)

Other advice (21.34)

Greener Practice website information (24.42) 

To visit the Greener Practice Website, use this link.

To read the ‘Better and Greener Asthma Care’ short blog, please click here. 

The link to the PCN Green Page (including respiratory resources, use this link.

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

Ben welcomes both Neil Macey and Christy Paxman to his podcast this week to discuss Centralised High-Risk Drug Monitoring. Neil has been a guest on the podcast before when he discussed a centralised PCN, and he is back to discuss further innovations. In today's episode, Neil and Christy explain how they came up with the plan of Care Coordinators within the Pharmacy Teams and rolling out Centralised High-Risk Drug Monitoring. 

Introduction (0.09)

Recap of Suffolks PCNs (0.30)

Christy Paxman’s role (1.18)

Care Coordinators in Pharmacy teams & Centralised High-Risk Drug Monitoring (1.36)

The plan… (2.46)

The results of your Centralised model (4.10)

Discussions around the centralised model (4.52)

How many Practices were involved? (5.23)

What’s the process? (6.05)

How has the process been adapted over time? (9.06)

Feedback from Practices… (10.15)

Checking and Monitoring (11.58)

Initial discoveries.. (11.54)

Feedback from Practices & Patients.. (14.52)

Managing time… (16.24)

Next steps… (18.18)

What advice do you have for other PCNs? (19.25)

Graph showing the site-by-site progress that has been made since introducing the HRDM service up until 17/11/2

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

Jamie Hynes is a GP in Black Country and on this podcast he discusses his brand new, incredible, creation ‘It’s a (GP's) Wonderful Life’. It’s a story of a GP approaching burnout, whose guardian angel visits, (Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard) and presents all the evidence on continuity of care and shows the impact on the town had he got his wish to have never been a GP. All set, as you may have guessed,  within the narrative of the well-known film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. In this episode, Ben also asks Jamie to share his thoughts on the difficulties within General Practice and the future of continuity of care. We also get to hear about what’s next for Jamie.

Introduction (0.09)

Jamie’s role.. (0.30)

It’s a (GP's) Wonderful Life... (1.06)

The pressures of working (3.04)

How burnout feels (4.01)

The creation of ‘It’s a (GP's) Wonderful Life’ (4.39)

The importance of the illustrations within the video (6.10)

The star of the show (7.43)

How much time has it taken to create this important story? (8.08)

The difficulties of General Practice (9.06)

The future of continuity of care in General Practice (12.44)

Awaiting Government's response.. (14.59)

Thoughts on the recommendations of the Stocktake review (15.48)

How to watch ‘It’s a (GP’s) Wonderful Life’ (16.51)

What’s next for Jamie Hynes? (17.32)

Final words (20.36)

To watch 'It's a (GP's) Wonderful Life', click here. 

To watch any further videos mentioned by Jamie today, see links below;

The National Health

GPKipling

StartTheFire

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

Ben is joined once again this week by Paul Gordon, our almost resident pensions expert (!) Now Head of Medical Specialist Wealth Planning at Atomos, Paul returns to update us on the most recent changes to the NHS Pension, namely the launch of a new consultation which could relieve some of the issues and confusion which surround the existing pension offer. What are the key elements of this new consultation, particularly in relation to retirement? And how could these changes lead to an improvement in the retention of staff? Ben and Paul tackle these topics (and more) in our final Ockham podcast of 2022.

Introduction (0.09)

How could the new consultation ease some of the problems related to the current NHS Pension? (0.52)

What are the main changes? (1.43)

Actively contributing whilst working (3.54)

Retention of staff (4.36)

Addressing the challenges of the Pension Scheme (5.22)

An overview of the consultation (7.07)

Resolving or ameliorating? (7.34)

Lifetime allowance (8.30)

Access to your Total Rewards Statement (9.31)

Contacting NHS Business Services Authority (10.09)

What is Pension theft? (11.20)

Tax charges advice (14.57)

PCN access to NHS Pensions information (16.03)

GP federations & wider problems (17.16)

What else should we be aware of at this stage? (18.45)

Getting in touch with Paul (20.07)

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

Listen to Paul Gordon’s previous podcast here.

NHS Business Services Authority - 0300 330 1346

Accessing your Total Rewards Statement

To contact Paul directly: [email protected]

Ben is in esteemed company on the podcast this week, joined by Dr Martin Allen (Consultant Physician and a Clinical Lead in Respiratory Medicine at University Hospital North Midlands), Kerry Mills (Advanced Respiratory Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Lead at Hereford Medical Group) and Andrea McConkey of the Wessex Academic Health Science Network, who brief us on all aspects of FeNO testing. Measuring fractional exhaled nitric oxide in the breath of patients, FeNO testing devices are a novel medical technology used to support the diagnosis of asthma. In this episode, we learn about how FeNO testing works in practice, the impact testing is having on the management and treatment of asthma and how others can get their hands on the devices and all available resources. Martin, Kerry and Andrea also welcome listeners to join a recently launched learning collaborative and share some incredibly useful links to further information on the FeNO revolution.

Introduction (0.54)

What is FeNO testing? (2.08)

What difference has it made to the management of asthma? (5.48)

Why are we not seeing a bigger uptake? (8.34)

The AHSN Programme (9.32)

The rollout of FeNO (12.18)

FeNO equipment costing (16.15)

Overcoming the barriers of Feno - Martin & Andrea (17.14)

Advice about getting started (20.23)

Final words (22.18)

West Midlands Academic Health Science Network's website is here.

A wealth of information about FeNO is also available within the Wessex AHSN website here.

The AHSN Network can support you in finding out how and where to get started on your FeNO journey here.

For infographics and guidance about how the devices themselves and how testing works in practice check out the Circassia device and the Bedfont device

If you're interested in finding out more about each of available devices, contact Steven who can guide you on the Circassia option, or Marc for the Bedfont device.

Information about the Rapid Uptake Programme is here.

NICE guidance is accessible here.

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

To find out more information about Livi, their services and how to get in touch, check out their website here.

In this week's episode, we are joined by Hussain Gandhi who reflects on his last three and a half years as a Clinical Director. Gandhi and Ben discuss the Primary Care Network infrastructure; what has changed in terms of staffing and the introduction of the additional roles, the impact of these changes and what we might expect to see next. We also quiz Gandhi about the transition to a more hybrid pattern of working; the overall impact of this on teams and what is necessary in terms of tech, and other considerations, for supporting strong communication and maximising our effectiveness.

Introduction - Life as a PCN Clinical Director (1.13)

Re-election process for a Clinical Director (1.39)

Splitting your role as a Clinical Director (2.08)

What areas of the role do you enjoy? (2.54)

Infrastructure of a PCN (3.46)

Enhanced access (5.21)

Technology progress in PCN (6.06)

Does remote working affect your PCN? (8.11)

Any tips for making remote meetings work? (9.54)

New entrants to the IT market for General Practice (11.14)

Reflecting over the past 3 and a half years (12.37)

What’s next for PCN’s? (13.46)

The GP Assistant role (14.47)

How do you introduce new roles into PCN’s? (16.43)

Next steps for the workforce in the PCN (17.57)

Are operational requirements of PCNs manageable? (20.09)

The impact of Integrated Care Systems and what’s expected next? (21.31)

How does the BMA Current Policy & the Fuller Review affect your role? (23.41)

What lessons have you learnt since becoming a Clinical Director? (25.27)

Where to find information on EGP Learning (26.49)

The link to the eGP learning YouTube channel is here and for all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

To find out more information about Livi, their services and how to get in touch, check out their website here.

In this month’s Practice Index sponsored panel episode, Robyn and Ben are joined by Practice Index HR guru Susi O’Brien to reflect upon a rollercoaster last three years in general practice and the resulting impact on staffing levels. Post-Covid demand and ongoing strike action across the healthcare sector (amongst other factors) are leading to a steep increase in rates of employee dissatisfaction and a culture of ‘quiet quitting’. What exactly is ‘quiet quitting’ though? What can lead to people quitting quietly? And most importantly, how can we better address the causes of demotivation, stress and burnout within the workforce, to improve staff satisfaction and retention in our own networks?

Introduction (0.43)

Common findings from the clinics Robyn and Susi hold (1.19)

What is quiet quitting? (1.48)

Quiet quitting in the workplace (3.44)

Is quiet quitting linked to pay and inflation? (5.0)

Has the pressure of the past three years caused staff to burn out? (7.02)

Addressing quiet quitting (8.11)

Impact of remote working (10.28)

Managers supporting each other (12.28)

Impact of strikes - Robyn (14.56)

Impact of strikes - Susi (16.35)

How to be proactive regarding quiet quitting (18.04)

For all enquiries about the Practice Index / Ockham podcast, please contact James Dillon here or Ben Gowland here 

This week, we are proud to introduce none other than Sir David Haslam, former Chair & President of the Royal College of GPs, former President of the British Medical Association, and former NICE Chair, amongst his countless other guises. Within this ‘must-listen’ episode, David talks to Ben about some of the key areas of focus within his fascinating new book; ‘Side Effects….’ and to offer his views on more the more problematic areas of general practice, as well as where we can and should be more progressive, from his perspective as a former GP, and as things stand currently.

Introduction (9 secs)

Meeting David (1 min 8 secs)

What prompted David to write his book? (1 min 31 secs)

Identifying what we are trying to achieve (3 mins 2 secs)

Choosing what and where to prioritise (4 mins 49 secs)

Applying rationality to what we can (and can’t) provide support for at system level (6 mins 55 secs)

Managing public expectation (8 mins 26 secs)

The impact focusing on individuals has on maintaining effective delivery (10 mins 53 secs)

Investment in preventative care and what that looks like (11 mins 59 secs)

‘Sexing up’ general practice? (13 mins 55 secs)

The risks to continuity of care (16 mins 6 secs)

ICS implications where the loss of financial ownership is concerned (17 mins 41 secs)

The role of communities in the creation of a more sustainable future (18 mins 53 secs)

How we deliver services within a community-based model (20 mins 12 secs)

David’s take on the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (21 mins 34 secs)

Where does David see effective and positive changes happening going forwards? (23 mins 13 secs)

Getting your hands on a copy of the book…. (24 mins 30 secs)

‘Side Effects: How Our Healthcare Lost its Way and How We Fix it’ by David Haslam is available in all the usual places but here’s a link to the outlet David mentioned within the episode.

You can learn more about David and his work via his dedicated website here.

Most of us are aware of the impact of having pharmacy expertise within our practice and network teams but in many areas, the continuing issue of sourcing (and retaining) pharmacists is proving to be a very challenge. In this week’s episode, we meet Holly Laurence and Ruhina Kassam from Clinical Pharmacist Solutions (CPS), an award-winning training, recruitment and clinical services provider that specialise in providing much-needed, skilled pharmacy resources to practices and primary care networks. Holly and Ruhina talk to Ben about the problem of sourcing staff, why it can be so difficult to hold on to good pharmacists, what we can be doing to incentivise potential new pharmacy staff (and hold onto them), and what CPS can offer by way of support.

Introduction (9 secs)

Meeting Holly, Head of Primary Care Support (26 secs)

…and Service Manager Ruhina (1 min 10 secs)

Is recruitment of Clinical Pharmacists a widespread problem, generally? And if so, why? (1 min 29 secs)

Working out what you want from your pharmacist (3 mins 29 secs)

Setting up dedicated support networks (4 mins 51 secs)

Expectations of salary (5 mins 30 secs)

Handling pay scales (6 mins 41 secs)

Meeting pharmacist expectations (7 mins 20 secs)

Maintaining retention (8 mins 2 secs)

Working within a multi practice network? (8 mins 39 secs)

Holly’s role and how she can ease the burden of recruitment on primary care staff (9 mins 36 secs)

Access and availability of pharmacists (11 mins 11 secs)

The CPS training programme (12 mins 8 secs)

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessment (14 mins 38 secs)

What else do CPS offer by way of support to practices (15 mins 10 secs)

Slotting in alongside the national pharmacy training programme (16 mins 9 secs)

Pricing schedules (16 mins 45 secs)

Getting in touch (17 mins 41 secs)

If you’d like further information please check out the CPS website or their LinkedIn page here.

Rightly or wrongly, we often find ourselves neglecting basic policy and procedural elements of the job, when patient demand, clinical priorities and a never-ending stream of new directives are cascaded down from on high. So, with this in mind, we invited regulatory solicitor and lecturer David Sinclair to feature on today’s podcast, to bring governance and cyber security more sharply into focus. With the threat of cyber-attacks on the rise, coupled with a quickly evolving policy landscape when it comes to GDPR, data protection and information security, we discuss what practices should be doing now to ready themselves, who should take responsibility for this critical area of work, and what to expect going forwards.

Introduction (9 secs)

Meeting David (1 min 5 secs)

Current prevalence of cyber attacks on GP practices (1 min 22 secs)

What do practices need to be doing right now to protect themselves against the risk of cyber security breaches? (2 mins 26 secs)

Management of governance and data protection protocols (3 mins 1 sec)

The importance of employing the services of those with the required, specialist knowledge (4 mins 21 secs)

Establishment of a named Data Protection Officer (DPO) (5 mins 24 secs)

Who is accountable if / when something goes wrong? (7 mins)

Proactive proof of compliance (8 mins 15 secs)

How do we best demonstrate GDPR compliance? (9 mins 35 secs)

Commonly made mistakes and issues (11 mins 26 secs)

Responding to data subject access requests (13 mins 29 secs)

Who should we consult when seeking advice specifically related to data subject access requests? (14 mins 45 secs)

Strategies for managing subject access requests (15 mins 21 secs)

Other commonly faced issues and things to be aware of going forwards (16 mins 59 secs)

What the future might look like when it comes to governance and security (18 mins 12 secs)

Summarising today’s discussions (19 mins 6 secs)

A final word from David (19 mins 56 secs)

Getting in touch (20 mins 41 secs)

If you’d like further information, and / or to connect with David directly, please check out the DR Solicitors website.