Blog

AI in General Practice: What You Need to Check Before Go-Live

AI is becoming part of everyday primary care.  Practices are using it to draft consultation notes, summarise information, manage workflow, prepare correspondence and support clinical and administrative tasks. That brings real opportunities.  It also raises a common question: “Do we need a DPIA?” A Data Protection Impact Assessment, or DPIA, should not be seen as

The Next Step for General Practice

A few things have landed on the desk at once this summer, and for once they point the same way. The neighbourhood health guidelines for 2025/26 are out. The 2026 GP Patient Survey results are in. Many of us are coming up to the first review point on the cloud telephone systems we were all

Let’s not confuse Neighbourhoods with Communities!

There seems to be universal agreement that the objectives of the NHS 10 year plan under the Hospital to Community banner are correct, (I do have concerns that the metrics used to measure the success of the plans are hospital activity based) however it is helpful that the focus is clear. It is also important

Lessons in Accountable Care

Last week, two NHS Trusts have become the first to win national approval to hold an integrated health organisation (IHO) contract, this news made me reflect on discussions I had years ago (during my NHS days) with the CEO of a US Hospital in the early days of the Accountable Care. The Summa Health system

Howbeck Healthcare: Helping Practices Meet New CQC Digital Assurance Expectations

One of our team recently attended an excellent workshop delivered by the Staffordshire Training Hub, which outlined the upcoming changes to the CQC inspection regime and what these mean for GP practices, one element of the CQC focus gives me an opportunity for a shameless plug of the Howbeck Healthcare GP CSO service. There will

For the first time, (in 26/27) it will be mandatory for practices to participate in the national General Practice Staff Opinion Survey (GPSS). The details will be included in the GMS Contract variation order and are in the PCN DES issued on the 26th March 2026, but the GMS variation orders don’t usually appear until

Cybersecurity in the GP Surgery: Are We the Weakest Link?

In a world where cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, primary care remains exposed.  The NHS has made significant strides at improving the digital infrastructure across secondary care, but GP practices, often operating with limited IT support and small budgets, are sometimes left to fend for themselves.  The question we must ask is this: in