World Mental Health Day
We marked World Mental Health Day (Monday 10 October) by sharing resources on social media, including perspectives on managing patients’ mental health and supporting good mental health among GPs.
Reflective Practice Masterclasses
- Our Reflective Practice Masterclasses are intended to help practitioners manage their mental wellbeing and find a state of equilibrium. The next session will be held on 10 November and places are still available.
- This is the second year we have run the Reflective Masterclasses. Dr Clare Gerada’s reflections on the aims of the masterclasses held last winter outlines why the sessions are so valuable.
Mental Health and Workload Pressures
We recently held a newsletter snap poll on whether workload pressures were affecting the mental health of practice staff, 93% of respondents said “yes”.
Mental Health Guest blogs
Over the last year some of our guest bloggers have considered mental health issues:
- In July Ed Rosen explained how the Lambeth GP food co-op use the experience of growing food to provide a positive outlet for patients with mental health issues.
- In June diabetes expert Dr Neel Basudev wrote about the importance of ‘breaking the cycle of despair’ associated with helping patients to successfully manage their weight.
- In December Dr Paul O’Reilly wrote about his work treating on the treating homless people in Westminster, who disproportionately suffer from mental illness and addiction.
- In November Dr Tony Grewal wrote a piece on ‘Movember’ and men’s health, including the importance of getting men to share their health concerns as soon as they think something may be wrong.
GPs and mental health in the media
- In May, a few months before joining Londonwide LMCs as one of our Medical Directors, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer talked to BBC Radio 5Live about GPs facing burnout.
- Dr Elliott Singer’s practice was featured in the BBC’s The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs last month, looking at ways of treating various conditions through lifestyle changes, including depression. Elliott is a Londonwide LMCs Medical Director.
- Dr Zoe Norris, GPC Sessional Sub Committee Chair, wrote a piece in last month’s Guardian on how she manages her own mental health while working as a GP.
Five Year Forward View – two years on (19 Oct 2016)
24 October marks two years on from the launch of NHS England's Five Year Foward View. The document said it would stabilise general practice core funding withing two years. ...Key themes in the development of an active and effective patient participation group (PPG) (19 Oct 2016)
Responses to the recent Londonwide LMCs’ patient engagement survey highlighted the broad spectrum of patient’ and practice’ experience of patient participation groups (PPGs). These ranged from the positive to the...Guest blog - supporting adult mental health patients and carers to shape services (19 Oct 2016)
This month Rebecca Lambert and Nirusha Nicholas of South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust describe their work in engaging the community in shaping adult mental health services and supporting each...Humberside LMCs' guidance on support for practices (18 Oct 2016)
Humberside LMCs have produced A Practice Guide to Funding & Support for General Practice outlining the sources of support available to practices in their area. Many of the these schemes...NHS England is no longer funding commercial or trade waste services for practices (18 Oct 2016)
NHS England is no longer funding commercial or trade waste services for practices. The Premises Directions 2013, Part 5, paragraph 46 (1) (b) lists the payments NHS England has a...Self Care Week 2016: understanding self care for life (18 Oct 2016)
Self Care Week (14 - 20 November) is an excellent tool for general practice. Organised by the Self Care Forum, the national awareness week has been running since 2009 and is...Mandatory data collection deadlines October 2016 (18 Oct 2016)
Practices are required to complete their submissions for the workforce minimum data set by midday on 26 October the new biannual extended access data return by 31 October. Biannual extended...Reflective Practice Masterclass for GPs: from Mindfulness to Reflection, Thursday 10 November 2016 - places still available (13 Oct 2016)
...General Practice Resilience Programme - Londonwide LMCs' update (30 Sep 2016)
The 'General Practice Forward View' sets out a commitment to deliver a 'General Practice Resilience programme' over the next four years (2016-2020). The programme aims to deliver a menu of...September 2016 Newsletter (22 Sep 2016)
Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.