How A Locum GP Might Save Your Life

An article in the news recently caught our eye as it emphasised how a Locum doctor may be better placed to deal with patients and diagnose conditions.  This is not to say anything against a patient’s usual GP, only that it may be a good thing to be presented with a locum when visiting your local surgery.

A Locum GP will have a fresh approach to the situation, asking more questions than the patient’s regular doctor as they have no previous experience of treating the patient and therefore want to make sure they get all the background information necessary.  In the case of Ali Stunt, a former geochemist from Surrey, a Locum doctor was able to make a lifesaving decision, referring Mrs Stunt to a pancreatic surgeon who diagnosed a 5cm cancerous tumour on the pancreas.  Three previous visits to her GP practice had resulted in the wrong diagnosis of IBS and stomach irritation.

Mrs Stunt said:

‘You hear so many negative things about locums missing things — but I think the fact that I was seen by someone who was looking at me through a fresh pair of eyes, and who was perhaps more up-to-date in their knowledge, saved my life.’

A quarter of the workforce is made up of Locums and it is great to hear the positive side of seeing a doctor who may not be your usual GP but who is just as capable, if not more so, of dealing with your concerns.

You can read the full article in the Daily Mail. 

To find out more about the service provided by Locum Select, feel free to visit the website.

How Has The Role Of The GP Changed Since The Launch Of The NHS?

When the NHS was set up back in 1948, the role of the GP was slightly different to how it is now.  In the early years, the GP would have usually worked at a small practice with perhaps just one other doctor, and they would have been responsible for providing a gateway for patients to further specialist medical care.  As well as treating patients within the surgery, the GP would have also been expected to carry out home visits after surgery as well as being on call to deal with emergencies during the night. 

The GPs may well have stayed at the same practice for the duration of their career.  They were often able to build up good relationships with their patients as they were usually the GP for the whole family.  However, this high workload often meant that many GPs worked under considerable pressure and had little support.  The 1960s saw GPs being issued with maximum patient lists of 2,000 patients, and measures were put into place to hire support staff and improve the accessibility of professional education resources.

GP fundholding changed again in the 1990s, as the government wanted to provide an incentive for GPs to become more involved with the wider health system.  GPs were able to commission services on their patient’s behalf and performance related pay was bought in to motivate the healthcare specialists. 

Changes to the NHS in the 2000s meant GPs were required to register and adhere to further quality care standards, meaning that more and more time was required to spend on meeting objectives and completing paperwork.  Whilst many GPs felt this could have a negative impact on the amount of time they can spend with each patient, having procedures and systems in place should mean that budgets can be managed more effectively and high standards should be met at all times.

Whilst the day to day role of the GP may have changed significantly since the 1940s as a result of the introduction of quality and standards reviews, the ultimate role of an NHS GP is still the same.  This is to provide a first point of call for patients so as to identify and treat common health conditions, plus referring patients to the relevant secondary healthcare providers.

Whilst many GPs choose to work in a permanent role, others may prefer to practice as a locum GP.  Further details regarding working as a locum GP or how to register as a locum can be found at the Locum Select website.

GP Partners Must Think Like Business Managers To Help Practices Succeed

Does the modern day General Practice partner need a business head to succeed or can practices rely solely on clinical excellence?

GP partners have additional responsibilities beyond seeing patients and completing paperwork, for example they will be charged with managing budgets and given responsibility over staff.  In the GP practice their role is vital but is this role becoming more managerial than clinical?  

Recent NHS reforms overhauled the system with the aim of tackling issues such as an ageing population, the cost of new treatments and the expectations of what a health service should deliver.  Despite the scale of this transformation many GP practices are finding it hard to balance income squeezes with rising costs.

General practice funding has been decreasing year on year for some time now but the GP contract changes imposed recently by the Department of Health, which removed £164m in funding from the organisational domain and introduced new indicators recommended by NICE, had a huge impact on many general practices. 

Whilst expenses are continuing to rise, GPs practices are facing a decrease in income, which has led to cash flow issues for many small practices.  Add to this the fact that many GP partners have had a significant pay squeeze to bring their pay in line with salaried GPs, despite their larger workload and you can start to see why GP partners must now assume the role of business manager.

The GP partner will be involved on a day to day basis with managing the budget of the practice and deciding where to allocate funds.  In the light of the recent reforms, this practice management needs to evolve and change for the practice to thrive.  There are new opportunities out there and practices need to look outside the primary care box and seek collaborative partnerships in order to develop their income. 

Practices will undoubtedly look to their GP partners for this business orientation, so GP partners must be prepared and put their very best business head on if they are to help their practice succeed.  Some practices have been setting an example by merging with other practices to share costs such as training and accountancy to take advantage of supplier discounts, where others have been going back to the drawing board and developing business plans and strategies that will help them reach their goals.

It seems the clinically led practice must now take a back seat as the GP partner assumes the role of business leader.  Practice managers and GP partners will need to work together to develop their own business skills and embrace this fast-changing world or they will surely get left behind. 

GPs may be interested to find out about working as a locum, further details can be found at the Locum Select website.