Illuminating Primary Care

A Podcast for GPs considering relocation

We’re excited to share our latest episode featuring Dr James Kier, GP Partner at Lido Medical Practice in St Helier, Jersey.
In this episode of the Illuminating Primary Care podcast, Patrick Flowers discusses all things related to Jersey General Practice, and why you might want to consider moving there as a GP.
Other topics covered are: What are the main benefits of working in Jersey over the UK?; understanding differences between the NHS and a Private Healthcare system and the impact this has on workload; top tips for a GP considering relocating and finally, what the future holds for the NHS.
 
00:56- Dr Kier introduction
01:29- Why did Dr Kier choose to relocate?
02:24- The main advantages of Jersey over Australia and Canada
04:07- Main learning points from moving to Jersey
05:58- How does being a Partner/Business owner in Jersey differ to the UK?
07:53- What are the main benefits between Jersey and UK general practice? What has been the most different and beneficial as a GP?
11:14- Any drawbacks to working in Jersey vs UK as a GP?
13:10- Advice for GPs thinking of relocating
14:48- What does Dr Kier see in the NHS’ future?
16:05- Specific financial benefits of Jersey – Increased sessional rates and less tax
17:58- Get in touch if you’d be interested in talking about Channel Island opportunities!
 

Salary and Contract Negotiations

In this episode, David and Patrick talk about contract and salary negotiations.
They walk you through what might affect sessional rates, differing contract types, BMA model recommendations, and they also offer practical advice for salary negotiations – including what you should definitely avoid when negotiating with a practice!
If you would like to watch the full, free webinar where they discuss this topic in more detail, request the link here.
 
Everything we cover in the podcast:
00:42 Factors affecting sessional rate
04:59 Practical advice for GPs
07:28 Contract negotiations
10:08 BMA contract recommendations
11:28 What to do if a practice doesn’t offer BMA contract
12:35 Common contract variations
14:53 General advice for contract negotiations
17:30 Salary negotiations
19:30 Tips on negotiating
24:25 Things to avoid in salary negotiations

The Stresses of being a GP. Can Anything Help?!

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Clara Doran, a former GP, writer and founder of Noggin The Brain People. Clara is focused on helping everyday folk, including GPs, take better care of themselves and cope with the stresses of daily life.
We discuss some of the techniques and strategies that Clara would recommend to help GPs and other medical professionals cope with the stresses of the job and how to cope with the daily challenges that come their way.
 
Timings:
00:00 - 21:00 - Micro breaks and the importance of sleep
21:00 - 25:00 - Checking in with yourself, how are you feeling?
25:00 - 28:00 - Make sure to communicate 
28:00 - 32:00 - Pressures on GPs
33:00 - 39:00  - Burnout
40:00 - Brain Health 

Expert advice for newly qualified GPs

Matthew and Victoria take you through everything you need to know about what to look for in your first practice, as a newly qualified GP.
 
The pair talk you through everything you need to know, to provide you with extensive detail on what to look for in your first post, useful questions to ask, guidance on what level of salary and benefits to look for, and any pitfalls to avoid! 
 
If you would like to watch the full webinar as mentioned in the podcast, request the link here: https://menloparkrecruitment.com/contact/
 
We will also be running a new series of webinars in June 2023, so if you would like to attend these, free of charge, please request to attend by completing our contact form above. 
 
What do we cover in the podcast:
00:00 - Intro
00:01 - 00:02: What to do before you enquire
00:02 - 00:05: Making your enquiry 
00:05 - 00:07: What are your first impressions of a practice and why are they recruiting?
00:07 - 00:08:  Are you looking for partnership opportunities?
00:08 - 00:09: How to know what type of GP the practice is looking for
00:09 - 00:11: What are you looking for in your role and what is the team like and what are the hours like?
00:11 - 00:14: What is the workload like, what else do you need to find out about the practice? 
00:14 - 00:19:  Once the offer has been made - what you need to know
 
If you would like to attend our next webinar in June, please contact us and we will send you the zoom link https://menloparkrecruitment.com/contact/
 
 

Top five tips for PCNs struggling to recruit featuring Tara Humphrey

In this episode we are joined by Tara Humphrey, Primary Care Network Management Specialist, with 20 years of experience in business development and operations, having supported over 30 Primary Care Networks providing them with training and management support.
We discuss all things PCN-related, Tara’s listing her top tips for PCNs struggling to recruit whilst also sharing her thoughts on what the future holds for our Primary Care Networks.
 
Timings:
01:10 Introducing Tara Humphrey
01:15 Why do you think PCNs are struggling to recruit?
03:36 Speaking with PCNs, many have shared similar concerns and experiences of struggling to retain staff. Is this a common theme amongst the PCNs you work with and if so, why do you think this is?
07:30 Based on the experience of speaking to PCNs, a lot of them are unaware of what specific allied health roles can do and how they would benefit a practice. Do you think this contributes to why they find it difficult to recruit specific roles such as a Digital and Transformation lead or GP assistant? What should surgeries do to understand the ARRS roles better?
10:16 When working with PCNs, recruiting Clinical Pharmacists and Physician Associates has been quite successful, but when it comes to roles such as FCPs, Pharmacy Techs and dieticians’ practices tend to struggle to recruit into these roles.
14:25 What are your top 5 quickfire tips for PCNs struggling to recruit?
18:28 What does the future hold for PCNs?
20:43 Outro

Top tips for Physician Associates working in Primary Care

Are you a newly qualified Physician Associate, student Physician Associate, experienced Physician Associate or a Practice looking to recruit a Physician Associate – then this podcast is for you!
Our hosts, Jasmine Kaur and Rohan Fletcher take you through everything you need to know about what a typical day looks like, how to find the right practice, how to prepare for your interview, salary information and more…
 
00:54: What does a typical day look like for a Physician Associate in Primary Care?
04:13 What does progression look like, for a Physician Associate in Primary Care?
08:48 What to look for in a practice or PCN
17:02 Tips and advice for when you’re applying for roles in Primary Care. CV and interview advice.
22:00 What are the salary parameters you can expect in Primary Care?
 
You can visit our website here: https://menloparkrecruitment.com/
Find the links to all our social platforms, here https://linktr.ee/menloparkrecruitment

Burnout: A GP crisis

An evocative discussion with Dr Jo Davies, an experienced GP in the Midlands, around the burnout crisis sweeping through the General Practice workforce.
 
00:52 What is ‘burnout’ and is it on the rise?
04:20 What is contributing to the increase?
05:44 What effect does it have on a GP?
06:37 What effect does it have on a practice?
07:20 Talk me through your experience being signed off:
08:00 When did you first notice signs something was wrong and how did they manifest themselves?
11:50 How was it affecting you on a daily basis both clinically and personally?
14:35 At what point did you ‘raise the alarm’ so to speak and discuss it with your fellow Partners and colleagues?
18:00 Is burnout preventable?
19:24 What does a GP need to do to manage their stress levels?
21:20 What can a practice do to better support its GPs pastorally?
23:40 At a central level, what more can be done from the NHS?
26:26 The GMC?
27:13 The government?
29:53 The media?
31:20 What are the lasting effects of burnout or having time signed-off sick?
31:57 What does it mean for you when it comes to looking for work?
32:46 Has it changed your outlook on being a GP?
34:00 What advice would you give to a GP returning from time off with stress or burnout?
36:02 What advice would you give to a practice to support a returning GP?
37:06 Closing remarks

Dr. Janki Patel – In talks with a Nuffield Health GP and the benefits of portfolio GP careers

Dr. Janki Patel joins us for a casual discussion of her journey into qualifying as a GP and her decision to work alongside the NHS in a Private GP role.
This includes a look at what you might expect from working as a private GP and the benefits of a portfolio career. You can find out more about private roles on our website https://menloparkrecruitment.com/jobs/
 
Timings:
1:03: Journey to qualifying as a GP
2:32: What led you to a career as a private GP?
5:30: Did you have any pre-conception of what being a Private GP would be like?
6:55: How has working for Nuffield Health positively impacted you?
9:25: How has your role developed since you joined Nuffield?
10:59: The benefits of working in both the NHS and Privately
12:24: How does the clinical work differ from the NHS?
16:02: Do you think the pandemic has effected Private Healthcare?
18:09: Advice for GPs considering private GP roles
 

Tekihealth Solutions – The new start-up business helping make remote consultation work easier and more accessible to GPs and practices in the UK

We speak to Dr Stephen Katebe, Director and co-founder of Tekihealth Solutions, who explains why and how Tekihealth Solutions came about and the benefits of leasing his software to GPs and practices in the UK.
 
Timings:
00:43 What is Tekihealth Solutions?
02:21 Why did you set up Tekihealth Solutions?
03:30 What are the benefits of leasing remote software through Tekihealth Solutions for both GPs and Practices?
07:37 What Challenges have you faced so far?
09:04 How is it going so far?
09:57 What is the long-term plan?

Greensand Health-Prioritising Wellbeing, Physical and Mental Health for employees and patients alike

We speak to Juliette Norton, the Managing Partner of Greensand Health, a pioneering general practice based in Maidstone. Employee and Patient wellbeing is the driving force for their innovation, Juliette tells us more about the inspiration behind their fantastic new practice.
01:13     Tell us more about the facilities in the new building
02:07     When was the initial idea for a new practice?
04:04     Tell us more about the GP Breakout areas – social and otherwise
05:45     Genuinely social group
06:30     ‘Customer service’ approach to patient care, and patient involvement in the development of the vision for the new practice. Development of social initiatives for patients and carers
08:30     Is this the future of general practice and will others follow suit?
10:12     Why wood GPs work for you?
11:35     What’s next for the practice?