GP Fed Blog

The problems with recruitment and retention in general practices are well known. Myself and colleagues have been on television, radio and in the paper getting this across to the public, I think with good effect. The numbers of GPs retiring in the next five years is a worry but less...

“It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives. It is not the strongest that survives but the species that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself” Charles Darwin, ‘Origin of Species’   Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)...

“Sweetie if you are going to be two faced, at least make one of them pretty.” Marilyn Monroe   The pressures facing general practice are well known and the causes well-rehearsed – decrease in funding, negative publicity of the profession and increasing workload. I remain optimistic that the promise of...

“The best way to predict your future is to create it” Abraham Lincoln The Federation has recently completed a review of our 2016/17 objectives and set new goals for 2017/18. I thought I’d take this opportunity to comment on our vision for the upcoming financial year.   GPs at scale Several groups have formed...

Suffolk GP Federation recently presented its thoughts on the new Multispeciality Community Provider (MCP) contract at a special healthcare event at the Trinity Park Showground in Ipswich (slides available here). We followed a presentation by Tracey Vell, Chief Executive of Manchester Local Medical Committee (LMC) and Lead for Primary Care...

2nd February 2017   As you’ve not doubt read, Prime Minister Theresa May recently called for GP surgeries to be open 8am-8pm, seven-days a week. As an organisation, Suffolk GP Federation has serious concerns about this plan – in particular the implied criticism that the current crisis in our emergency...

16th January 2017 “The patient is sinking while the doctors deliberate” General Marshall after visiting Europe in 1947   Much has been in the news about the crisis in the NHS. This is no surprise and is a result of years of under-funding of primary care, community and social services...

2016 has been a good year for the Suffolk GP Federation.  I am extremely proud to have been its Chair. The success of the Federation is down to the qualities of our non-executive team, our board and all the staff that work for us.  I have always believed that an...

6th December 2016 “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” Helen Keller On my last blog, I talked about the importance of GPs working collaboratively for mutual benefit. It is clear there is also a need for the wider team in health and social care...

22nd November 2016 “You have to think anyway – so why not think big?” Donald J Trump Isn’t it great when a quote and timing come together?! There has been a lot of discussion about general practice working at scale, something the Federation have been considering for some time.  Groupings...