Since its inception in 2005, Management in Practice – of which the magazine is just one component, alongside our website and national conferences – has been proud to have supported practice managers and, moreso, to have helped foster the creation of an interactive community in which members of the profession can voice their opinions, liaise with each other and feedback their own experiences to help their peers.
A clear message from this community, particularly from those posting comments in response to new policy announcements on the website, is a sense of frustration at top-down requirements and centralised healthcare strategies. Again and again, many practice managers feel they are continuously being asked to tick boxes, rather than help patients. Along the way, the individual successes of the practice are overlooked.
The Management in Practice Awards were designed as an antidote to this feeling, and to champion general practice. These awards recognise and reward initiatives led by the practice, rather than by top-down demands. By celebrating the excellent work of surgeries across the UK, we hope to help empower practice managers and their teams by giving a platform to these practice-led success stories.
This issue features contributions from several of the 2009 MiP Award winners. Dr Amir Hannan, winner of the IM&T Award, explains how the online facility developed at his Hyde practice has helped patients by providing them with expert information and bringing them closer to the surgery’s community. He articulates his vision for a 21st-century general practice infrastructure with a clearly defined relationship between patients and the practice.
Philippa White, practice manager of the Upton Surgery in Worcestershire, which won two awards in 2009 – not only the Customer Care Award for its array of specialised patient services, but also the Practice of the Year Award for its cohesive team performance – profiles her practice, describing the high-quality work her team conducts on a daily basis.
Sarah Rhodes, practice manager of the Avicenna Medical Practice in Bradford and winner of the HR and Training Award 2009, shares her insights into developing an effective communication strategy. Sarah’s practice won the award for increasing staff motivation by identifying training requirements and enabling a truly multidisciplinary team.
Though the aspects of practice management here vary, one thing remains the same – practice members themselves led these achievements for the benefit of their patients.
Now in their third year, the Management in Practice Awards will again reward excellence in practice management. We’d love to hear your success stories, so please do come forward and tell us about the good work you’ve done. The application process has been simplified this year, and entrants need only submit a short form tailored to the individual category. Furthermore, we have two new categories – the Practice Manager of the Year Award and the Commissioning Award. Applications for each of the six categories are invited from individual practice managers or practice teams who have undertaken projects in any one of the below areas.
The categories of the Management in Practice Awards 2010 are outlined below.
Patient Care Award
www.managementinpractice.com/awards_care
Today’s focus on “patient choice” means practices are encouraged to speak to their patients, request feedback and work to provide the services that their patients demand. While the QOF looks at the qualitative delivery of care, this award will recognise individual practices that are working towards a complete understanding of their patients’ needs.
Judges for this award are: Sonia Clark, Practice Manager and Partner; Wendy Garcarz, Healthcare Management Training Consultant; Lorraine Hughes, Practice Manager and winner of the MiP 2008 Customer Care and Innovation in Training Award; and Danny Daniels, Chair, National Association for Patient Participation.
Design and Facilities – Clark Weightman Award
www.managementinpractice.com/awards_design
GP practices are now increasingly custom-built or renovated to ensure that the building’s facilities can cope with new demands of additional primary care services. This award will recognise the most innovative new build or renovation of a primary care surgery.
Judges: Cathryn Bateman, Practice Manager and Consultant Editor, Management in Practice; Roger Sedgley, Architect; and Andrea Williams, Primary Care Premises Consultant.
IT Award
www.managementinpractice.com/awards_IT
Practice websites, GP2GP, electronic prescriptions and summary care records are just a few developments designed to enhance patient services and the working lives of the practice staff. This award seeks to find the most innovative applications of new technology in a primary care setting.
Judges: Fiona Lawson, IT Training Solutions Director; Barbara Stuttle CBE, National Clinical Lead for Nursing, NHS Connecting for Health; and Lynda Tomlinson, Specialist Clinical IT Trainer and Informatics Professional.
Commissioning Award
www.managementinpractice.com/awards_commission
This award recognises practice managers who have been involved in commissioning a new local service that has delivered wins for their practice or PCT. The practice manager is not required to have chaired or led a practice-based commissioning (PBC) group or cluster, but should demonstrate an active engagement with PBC.
Judges: Nick Goodwin, Senior Fellow, The King’s Fund; Dr David Jenner, NHS Alliance Lead for PBC; and Julie Wood, National Director, Clinical Commissioning, NHS Alliance.
Practice Team of the Year – Away From My Desk Award
www.managementinpractice.com/awards_PT
This award seeks to recognise the multidisciplinary practice team that has had the biggest positive impact on all aspects of surgery management – from patient care delivery and systems implementation, to staff motivation and budget management. We invite applications from managers leading a cohesive practice team that has successfully worked towards a common goal.
Judges: John Chisholm CBE, Member of Council, Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association; Fiona Dalziel, Independent Consultant in Practice Management; and Steve Williams, Independent Healthcare Consultant.
Practice Manager of the Year Award
www.managementinpractice.com/awards_PM
This award seeks to recognise a practice manager that has made an outstanding contribution to their surgery’s performance in the last 18 months. We invite applications from both practice managers themselves as well as nominations from practice colleagues.
Judges: Jane Gamble, Practice Manager; Elaine Guy, President, AMSPAR; and Sam Riddell, Practice Director
How to enter
Projects will need to have been completed/implemented during the past 18 months. Projects will be evaluated according to criteria related to each individual category. Please visit the relevant web link (as listed above) to view the criteria and to download the relevant application form.
We invite all practice managers and teams to enter. The closing date for receipt of all nominations is 21 May 2010.
Independent panels of judges, as listed above, will review all unnamed projects and select winners according to the individual award criteria. The top four shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview in person or by conference call with the panel judges.
As well as the opportunity to have your work reviewed by leaders in primary care, the top three projects in each category will also be presented with a certificate of achievement. Winners will receive £250 prize money and a trophy. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony during the Management in Practice Birmingham Event at the NEC on 20 October 2010.
For more information on the Management in Practice Awards and how to enter, please visit:
www.managementinpractice.com/awards or call Rebecca Pegg on 0207 214 0598.
