The Wessex Maternal Medicine network coordinates and supports care for women across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire to improve outcomes for women with medical conditions detected before, during and after pregnancy. In this episode, we explore the latest developments, guidance, and collaborative efforts shaping maternal medicine across the region including: The evolution of the Maternal Medicine Network and its role in improving continuity of care. Updates on regional pathways, education, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Valuable perspectives on delivering safe, compassionate, and joined-up care for women across Wessex. Useful Resources: UKTIS (UK Teratology Information Service) - https://uktis.org/ or phone 0344 892 0909 BUMPS (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) - https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/ LactMed (Drugs and Lactation Database) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/ Healthier Together (pregnancy and birth page on pre-existing conditions ) - https://www.healthiertogether.nhs.uk/pregnancy-and-birth#existing-conditions Healthier Together (professionals page) - https://www.healthiertogether.nhs.uk/professional  

An opportunity for PMs to hear the latest guidance for practices from the team at Wessex LMCs. Please see www.wessexlmcs.com/guidance/practice-manager-updates/ for slides and resources referred to in this recording.

An opportunity for PMs to hear the latest guidance for practices from the team at Wessex LMCs. Please see www.wessexlmcs.com/guidance/practice-manager-updates/ for slides and resources referred to in this recording.

Dr Laura Edwards and Dr Rebecca Payne talk through some in depth research that has been done looking at remote consulting in General Practice.  They highlight some of the complexities the medium brings together with how practices might use the developed resources to have powerful conversations about minimising any risks to patient safety. You can find the resources referred to here: https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/interdisciplinary-research-in-health-sciences/remote-by-default-2/Remote-by-Default-2-project-resources

An opportunity for PMs to hear the latest guidance for practices from the team at Wessex LMCs. Please see www.wessexlmcs.com/guidance/practice-manager-updates/ for slides and resources referred to in this recording.

An opportunity for PMs to hear the latest guidance for practices from the team at Wessex LMCs. Please see www.wessexlmcs.com/guidance/practice-manager-updates/ for slides and resources referred to in this recording.

Louise Greenwood (Director of Education, Wessex LMCs) talks to Matthew Miller-Hall, Digital & Facilities Manager, Chawton Park Surgery and NHS App Ambassador about the NHS App. Have you got the NHS App? Have you downloaded it and then forgotten all about it? Louise and Matthew discuss the benefits of using the App for patients & practices and how to encourage more patients to use it. It can save everyone time and money! Download the NHS App toolkit campaign at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/south-east/info-professionals/south-east-region-primary-care-transformation-programme/introduction/communications-for-primary-care-providers/nhs-app-toolkit-campaign/

An opportunity for PMs to hear the latest guidance for practices from the team at Wessex LMCs. Please see www.wessexlmcs.com/guidance/practice-manager-updates/ for slides and resources referred to in this recording.

Our Joint CEO Dr Laura Edwards talks to Artur Psyz from Community Pharmacy Hampshire and Isle of Wight about understanding pharmacy a bit more and the current challenges they are facing in their sector. At a time where General Practice and community pharmacies are expected to work closer together listen in to learn about the balance of commercial and NHS work and how their sector is feeling.

Dr Laura Edwards leads us through the spending review and first thoughts about the NHS 10 Year Plan. Laura discusses themes with Dr Andy Purbrick and both Wessex Joint CEOs take questions from the audience at the PM webinar on 29th July.  Download the accompanying slides and documents here: www.wessexlmcs.com/guidance/practice-manager-updates/

Ed Kennedy, Managing Partner at Wickham Surgery, and Director at IGPM (Institute of General Practice Management) talks to Louise Greenwood, Director of Education & Training at Wessex LMCs, about raising the profile of PMs at national level. The Directors of IGPM were invited to the Houses of Parliament to speak to the Health and Social Care Select Committee about the NHS 10-year Plan. Listen to how their meeting went – and if you are a PM, you might want to consider joining this, a-political organisation that wants PMs to be in every conversation about general practice at every level.   

In this podcast, Louise Greenwood (Director of Education & Training) talks to Dr Sam Robinson (GP & PCN Clinical Director) and Lucy Hitchcock (PCN Manager) from Minerva Primary Care Network (PCN) in Bath and NE Somerset (BaNES). Sam and Lucy have introduced a number of Ai, Automative and non-digital innovations within their PCN. They discuss total triage, Ambient Scribe, Workflow Automation and Automatic Processing of Lab Results. They have some fascinating insights but also share in a pragmatic, practical ways that make their changes seem achievable for others who are not as far along this journey. They stress the need to bring governance issues and patients along with you at every stage!

At Wessex LMCs we realise that many of you are too busy to read long documents. We believe the 10 year plan is essential reading but at 168 pages - very long. The Executive Summary is extremely helpful to get a good enough feel for most of the content. To help you stay informed therefore we have recorded, verbatim, without comment or endorsement the Executive Summary of the 10-year plan so that you can access this vital content in a convenient way. Analysis and comment on the content will come in due course from the LMC team. As ever with the possibility of change there is the possibility of threats but also opportunity. Knowledge is power. Listen to the content and give yourself the foundation to build an informed opinion. The full plan can be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6866387fe6557c544c74db7a/fit-for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for-england.pdf

Dr Laura Edwards, Joint CEO at Wessex LMCs, and Bryony Allen, Chair of Hampshire Local Optical Committee, discuss all things relating to opticians. How are they trained? Who can receive NHS services? Why can’t opticians refer directly? How are things in the world of optometry? All this and more...

In the fifth podcast of our Innovation Series, we take a look at whether innovation using technology and automation is suitable for all practices. Jenny Partridge (Innovation Manager, Kent, Surrey, Sussex) speaks to Practice Manager Shaun Austin about how to position trying new ways of working if the practice staff are comfortable working in a traditional way. They discuss lab results automation, how safe it is clinically, and how you can find out more about automation to assure yourself on its effectiveness. Non-clinical uses of automation and AI are often an easier place to start and build confidence in the benefits of technological solutions; for example helping patients to register more easily or providing website assistants to help patients navigate to the services they need.

Professor Ryan Buchanan (Wessex Clinical Hepatitis C Lead) and Dr Nicholas Ballantyne (Wessex Clinical Hepatitis C GP Champion) talk to Dr Laura Edwards (Joint CEO Wessex LMCs) about the complete transformation in treatment approach and outcomes for Hepatitis C and talk about the possibility of elimination of this disease. Listen to this good news story and share the positive message. Look at HepCulater: https://www.hepculater.com/ for more resources and for self referral for free NHS testing and follow up for your patients.    

This is the fourth episode in our Innovation podcast series. Alex Kimber, Managing Partner at The Grove Medical Centre & Wessex PM Supporter is keen to use innovation to find solutions. Alex talks to Jenny Partridge, Innovation Manager at Health Innovation Kent, Surrey, Sussex about the recording of consultations, registration processes & an efficient use of time using meeting-recording software. As ever change management and the funding of innovation is discussed and the podcast is hosted by Louise Greenwood, Director of Education & Training, Wessex LMCs. Join us at Wessex LMCs Annual Conference on 4th June. Find out more and book your place at: www.wessexlmcs.com/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=738  

Introducing a new product or way of working can be seen as the way to fix a problem, but why is it that an innovation that works well for one practice does not work so well for a neighbouring practice?  What is it that helps an innovation be introduced successfully? In the third of our innovation podcast series, Jenny Partridge, Innovation Manager at Health Innovation Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Louise Greenwood, Director of Education & Training at Wessex LMCs discuss some of the findings from discussions with practices who have all implemented the same innovation, but with widely varying results. Learn what you can do to help ensure that the innovation you introduce works well.   Automation of admin tasks – examples of products & further reading BetterLetter  GP Automate  Healthtech1  Rapid Health Case study: Transforming primary care access and efficiency through Smart Triage An evaluation of Rapid Health’s Smart Triage at The Groves Medical Centre eGPlearning – eGPlearning (episodes 488 & 489) Administrative triage using digital tools in General Practice – elearning for healthcare Digital Resources Hub | Health Innovation Wessex Innovation Portal – Health Innovation South West

In this podcast, Zoe Tobin, Nurse Advisor for Wessex LMCs is kindly joined by Dr Kate Szymankiewicz, a GP in a Wiltshire practice, with a specialist interest in Tourette's syndrome and young people’s mental health, to raise awareness around the syndrome and in particular the role of the GP in the patient’s journey and diagnosis, the podcast will cover: What is Tourette’s Syndrome - is there a known cause, other co- existing conditions and associated stigma and challenges of living with the syndrome How do you diagnose - when do the symptoms first present, can this develop at anytime to anyone, what is the difference between experiencing ‘ticks’ and a diagnosis of Tourette’s Syndrome How can we support the individual and family post diagnosis - impact a diagnosis can bring for the individual and their family, strategies to support them. What support is available for the individual and their families - where can we signpost for further support. Where can I access learning support as a clinician - e-learning modules and further resources. Supporting resources: e-learning modules: TA website Tourettes Action eLearning Module (tourettes-action.org.uk) NHS Learning Hub - Resource (learninghub.nhs.uk) Tourette’s Action homepage: https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/ Functional symptoms: https://neurosymptoms.org/en/  

This is the second in our series on Innovation led by Jenny Partridge, Innovation Manager at Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex. Smart triage is one solution to the problem faced in general practice of balancing patients’ clinical needs with practice clinical capacity. It is a way of automating the triage process, allocating patient appointments based on their clinical need and approved patient pathway, saving clinical and admin time in the triage and reception process. This podcast discusses why you might consider implementing smart triage, how you could justify it, and shares some tips for implementation. Hear from Cathie Sims, a practice manager who implemented a smart triage system recently and the positive impact this has had on her practice, both for patients and staff. Dan Ferrett, a Practice Manager & Practice Manager Supporter, is considering smart triage & explores the concerns about making such a change, including patient safety, accessibility for all patients and data security questions. Automation of admin tasks – examples of products & further reading BetterLetter  GP Automate Healthtech1  Rapid Health Case study: Transforming primary care access and efficiency through Smart Triage An evaluation of Rapid Health’s Smart Triage at The Groves Medical Centre eGPlearning – eGPlearning (episodes 488 & 489) Administrative triage using digital tools in General Practice – elearning for healthcare Digital Resources Hub | Health Innovation Wessex Innovation Portal – Health Innovation South West