Staff training at our Doctors’ surgery.

🍰🧁☕️

Same at ours, except on a Wednesday nankate. Who knows . Suspect tanith may be right.

Ours have been doing this for the last 15 years, should know the job inside out by now 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Updates on new IT systems (as an example).

Ever-changing patient pathways and NICE guidelines.

I had been trying to get through to my surgery on the phone and kept getting a recorded message saying Sadly we are under-staffed and so busy ......"

I gave up on trying to phone and drove there. When I walked in, there was a banner across the reception saying "Goodbye and Good Luck" and people were milling around with drinks ..... clearly a leaving party was going on with cake and presents!! So tanith - spot on!

I used to do talks for GP practices. Usually lunchtime ones. I talked about autism in adults. I suspect there are lots of similar issues to discuss along with new treatments etc etc. Medicine is always changing.

It’s difficult when surgeries are already stretched to the max and appointments are all but impossible to arrange; but would you rather have outdated systems and no new innovations? The ability to book online, or to see your notes are just two options that spring to mind. Staff will have to learn to do things like this (the protocols as well as the systems). When are they supposed to do it?

I've always assumed catching up with admin uninterrupted. Writing letters to hospitals, reviewing patents' meds probably requires serious concentration (and peace and quiet?).

I appreciate they have to be up to date with the latest innovations, but closing completely, is this totally necessary.

When we have new computer systems, when we have product updates, issues relating to Health & Safety we do not close, but manage a rota system of updating/staff teaching.

Why not write to the manager and ask?
Think I might do if it bothered me.

At a meeting yesterday a member had a suspected heart attack; having called an ambulance we sought help/advice from the surgery next door, and not a doctor was on the premises; common apparently on Tuesday mornings although not even under the pretence of 'Training.' Closed on Friday afternoon for that!

When I was a GP we shut a half day a month for practice training. The clinical staff usually had a lecture and discussed implementing change in treating whatever condition. We also discussed any practice problems. The admin staff received separate training applicable to their jobs. It was always a rush to fit surgery , visits and admin into the morning. The other practices in the area had the same scheme and locums were employed to cover the area by running a clinic and doing emergency visits

eazybee

At a meeting yesterday a member had a suspected heart attack; having called an ambulance we sought help/advice from the surgery next door, and not a doctor was on the premises; common apparently on Tuesday mornings although not even under the pretence of 'Training.' Closed on Friday afternoon for that!

I'm not sure what a GP could do, if the person was having a heart attack.

GrannyGravy13

I appreciate they have to be up to date with the latest innovations, but closing completely, is this totally necessary.

When we have new computer systems, when we have product updates, issues relating to Health & Safety we do not close, but manage a rota system of updating/staff teaching.

But if there's a rota system for training, it means that somebody still has to be responsible for informing the people who missed out on the training. Where does the time for that come from? It also means that the absent people don't have their concerns heard if there's any sort of discussion.

Aveline

I used to do talks for GP practices. Usually lunchtime ones. I talked about autism in adults. I suspect there are lots of similar issues to discuss along with new treatments etc etc. Medicine is always changing.

As an example, I know that when I complained about not being referred for breast cancer screening (despite the fact that it turned out that I did have breast cancer), my case was discussed at one of the training meetings because the practice manager sent me the relevant part of the minutes.

The GP actually followed NICE guidelines because she couldn't feel any lump. I had lobular cancer which is relatively rare and doesn't always form lumps. On average, a GP only sees a maximum of a couple of cases a year. There was a discussion and GPs were told to take patients' concerns about their own body and unusual pain more seriously and to send them for a scan, despite NHS guidelines.

Sounds like good practice growstuff. Hope all OK now.

Interesting feedback, thanks. 👍

There will be a lot more going on than you realise. There are always new initiatives being introduced (in any line of work), skills will need updating for some things, there will be training courses with outside speakers, there will be targets, goals, statistics to be discussed and acted upon, probably performance management meetings, guidelines issued by various parties to be looked at and acted on, discussion of new medicines and procedures, etc, etc. All staff will be required to be involved with some of these things, and this can only be done during working hours.
Staff training goes on in all professions. It won’t be a gossipy jolly with coffee and cakes, but work (with coffee on the go, probably).

When I worked there was a monthly 'training' session which was actually a drug company lunch for the GPs

These days I'm told its mostly IT, clinical audit and governance.

Drug company lunches are a thing of the past. GPs no longer have time to take thirty minutes over lunch. Some of the updates for all staff are things like an annual update on Resuscitation

Why not ask them? GPs leaving in droves… crazy pace every day. Stop to catch up and share problems and solutions

I was waiting outside our treatment room and it had gone way past my appointment time. The door was opened and I glimpsed the nurses sitting around a table drinking tea and eating cakes. When I was called in the table and all evidence was gone!

As a GP ,I know that EVERY practice has to undertake this " Protected Time for Learning " every month. It's a government diktat and has been for many , many years.
Yes , Medicine is forever changing and evolving ( think of all the new medicines and illnesses that are forever being discovered...Covid for instance.
However, the training is for every practice member so that the admin and clerical staff are up to date with ever changing legislation and IT changes.
The world of medicine is a,difficult and complex beast !
However, the cynical side of me thinks these sessions are only there so that those of you who love to bash GPs can have another good old moan about us . It's very upsetting for those of us who work so very hard in a world of great difficulties!