The finalists hoping to scoop this year’s Practice Manager of the Year Award have all succeeded in transforming the way their practice is run, even in the most adverse of circumstances. We provide a glimpse of what they have achieved
The winner of the coveted Practice Manager of the Year Award 2024, part of the General Practice Awards, will be announced at a glitzy ceremony on December 6.
And this year we have practice managers from six surgeries who have been shortlisted.
The awards ceremony, which pays tribute to the passion, commitment and hard work of individuals and teams working in primary care, will follow a three-course gala dinner.
Hosting this year’s event, held at the Novotel London West, is critically acclaimed stand-up comic John Robins, a familiar face on TV having appeared on Live At The Apollo and Mock the Week.
Anyone wishing to attend the awards ceremony in December can book their tickets here.
The Practice Manager of the Year award seeks to recognise a practice manager who has made an outstanding contribution to their surgery’s performance in the last 18 months.
Management in Practice wishes all the finalists the very best of luck.
The shortlist is as follows:
Saadia Abbasi – practice lead/senior staff development manager / freedom to speak up guardian at Churchtown Medical Centre, Merseyside
Saadia has fostered a positive work environment that motivates staff and enhances patient satisfaction.
A key priority was enhancing the patient experience by implementing more efficient scheduling systems and improving communication so as to reduce wait times and help patients receive more timely care. The telephone wait time during the busiest periods is now under three minutes, having reduced more than five-fold since April 2023.
Significantly, Saadia’s sound financial management skills (creating budgets, closely monitoring performance and continually identifying opportunities for cost savings) have contributed to the financial stability of the practice, ensuring job security for staff members and that money can be invested into quality improvement and staff development.
On learning and development, Saadia introduced training programmes for staff on a wide range of topics including clinical skills and customer service, recognising that by building up their skills it enhances the quality of care delivered to patients.
In response to an increased demand for remote healthcare services, Saadia spearheaded the introduction of an initiative allowing patients to access healthcare remotely and book appointments in real time 24/7, which reduced the need for in-person visits or phone calls. This has improved patient access and patient satisfaction.
Some of her other main achievements include ensuring that vulnerable patients or those with complex needs are automatically allocated 30-minute appointments and organising special clinics for veterans.
Saadia’s hard work has meant key metrics for the practice are moving in the right direction. Since April 2023, there has been an increase in patient numbers, patient satisfaction and staff satisfaction.
Muhammad Ahmed – group business manager, North Trafford Group Practice, Manchester
Muhammad is said to go ‘above and beyond’ in coping with constant changes and challenges.
The practice’s performance has significantly improved under his leadership and as a result of him working on three main themes: premises improvement, boosting health and wellbeing of staff and meeting the individual needs of the practice’s patient population.
Notable achievements implemented by Muhammad include introducing a dynamic clinical and staff rota rather than a standard fixed rota, while also developing an extended access hub, with the practice offering Saturday and Sunday appointments as well as ‘out of normal business hours’ weekday slots.
He also identified the busiest day of the week so more clinical sessions could be scheduled for that day, helping reduce the pressure on demand for the other days.
By putting in place a digital system to book appointments, the practice has seen a reduction in calls and more than 40% of appointments in the last 12 months were requested through digital platforms.
Recognising the need to boost staff wellbeing and mental health, Muhammad decided to bring in an employee assistance programme to help manage stress levels and offer support.
He also introduced a staff survey to gauge the team’s needs in creating a positive and healthy environment. Latest results showed increases in job satisfaction for both clinical and non-clinical staff and improvements in how both groups felt about their work life balance.
In addition, 90% of staff said they were satisfied with the availability and accessibility of management.
The practice now has social and festive days as well as team building activities and chill out rooms for staff, which has lifted staff morale.
Last but not least, a renovation of the premises has expanded availability of clinical space allowing more clinical services to be provided.
Rupal Giga – operations manager; Zainab Patel – practice manager; and Krishna Solanki – practice manager at Victoria Park Health Centre, Leicester
This ‘super trio’ of managers proved indispensable after a major crisis hit in January 2024 when torrential rain during Storm Henk flooded – and devastated – Victoria Park Health Centre.
The damage led to the premises, which houses around 60 staff and serves 26,000 patients being out of action, with repair work set to take more than 12 months.
The managers’ quick action ensured disruption to high-quality patient services was kept to a minimum. Business continuity protocols were implemented and within 24 hours, the managers facilitated remote working so patients could access GP services.
Within 72 hours face-to-face consulting was resumed at temporary premises. Within just weeks, the managers helped establish effective cross-site working at five premises.
One temporary site was made available only a day prior to GP appointments being due to start from there and wasn’t in a fit state for a clinic. Rather than cancel appointments and let patients down, the team of managers spent an entire day getting it ready with furniture, IT equipment and stock. Consultations successfully began at 8.30am the next day.
The managers put in place a highly effective digital front door and triage system. And they worked with the reception team to develop an efficient booking system (that didn’t waste appointments or create a backlog) allowing patients some choice over the site at which they could attend their GP appointment. This helped meet the challenge of continuing to provide access to the most vulnerable patients or those without transport.
Looking after the needs of staff and their wellbeing was not overlooked during this difficult time. A wellbeing therapist was brought in to provide drop-in sessions and the three managers ensured communication was regular and effective.
Following the disaster, patient registration numbers at the practice have actually increased. The practice attributes that to patients wanting to show their support and remain loyal as a result of this team of managers’ efforts and the outcomes they achieved.
Demet Jackson – group practice operations manager at Mereside Medical Group, Cambridgeshire
Demet’s unwavering dedication and innovative leadership have been instrumental in driving positive changes at Mereside Medical Group, a practice which has sites serving around 44,000 patients.
She has led several transformative projects to enhance patient care and expand the practice’s offering. One was a population health project focusing on improving blood pressure monitoring. Working closely with the PCN clinical pharmacist team, Demet oversaw its implementation at practice level, coordinating patient communication, publicising information to patients both within the practices and on social media, and meticulously assessing the impact of data sharing. The initiative has led to many patients with previously high blood pressure readings being properly diagnosed and treated.
Since joining the group in 2022, Demet has also helped boost staff morale and engagement. Successes, both big and small, are celebrated in order to create a positive and appreciative work environment.
And to ensure teams feel supported, Demet closely monitors weekly general practice alert state (GPAS) ratings to identify areas that are under pressure and ensure that section heads, managers and wider teams step in to address any concerns.
Fostering effective teamworking has also been a priority for Demet. By establishing the Mereside managers group, section heads are able to collaborate more effectively and there’s opportunity to discuss challenges and ways to streamline services.
Demet has built strong relationships both within Mereside and externally with the PCN and PPG, further enhancing the practice’s connections.
Rachel Stark – practice manager at East Quay Medical Centre, Bridgwater
Rachel was just 16 years old when she began working in a temporary job at the centre in 1996 – and she has been there ever since. Over the years she has become one of the most respected practice managers in the area and provided much needed continuity for the practice as it navigates increasingly challenging times.
Most recently, Rachel has led on the development of a ‘proactive care team’ in the local PCN, which is a multidisciplinary team focusing on the needs of housebound patients. It has led to improved access and regular holistic reviews for this vulnerable group of patients.
As a board member for Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership, Rachel has also worked hard to integrate health coaches into practice teams across the PCN and identify cohorts of patients that can most benefit from community intervention. As a result, a number of groups have been established to deal with health issues such as menopause, mental health, and weight management.
Rachel has also recognised the significant needs of those with chronic pain and has used her knowledge and skills with EMIS to identify patients most affected and worked with health coaches to shape a successful offer of support that has been rolled out across the county.
A series of projects were launched by Rachel this year to improve staff wellbeing and morale. For example, health coaches have run sessions during breaks focusing on relaxation, strength and mobility, while team building activities and treats including team lunches that celebrate campaigns such as National Receptionist Day and International Nurses Day were organised, bringing staff from across the practice together.
Pete Woodward – practice manager at Cheadle Medical Practice, Stockport
Cheadle Medical Practice’s operations have been transformed in the three years since Pete became practice manager, who has been described as a ‘driving force of improvement.’
This is in part down to his creation and implementation of a new total triage appointment system, which has had a positive impact on stress levels of reception staff.
While receptionists are helping patients navigate the system, they are not the ones making final decisions (such as whether a patient should be booked in for an appointment) – those are left to the doctors. With patients now aware of that, there’s been a big decrease in disagreements with receptionists, helping the team feeling more valued and less stressed.
The new model, which utilises questionnaires and an F12 protocol, has benefited patients since it has led to a 23% reduction in phone calls (nearly 50% between 8am and 9am, putting an end to the morning rush) and an increase in the number of patients seen within two weeks, which has risen from 83% to 97%. Patient satisfaction went up more than 10 percentage points after the new system was implemented.
Pete also introduced structured financial planning at the practice for the first time, with clear budgets and targets for income and expenditure. The practice can now project profitability accurately and has a clear idea of what investments can be made into salaries and additional staff. This approach has allowed the practice to reward staff in a more generous way.
Another achievement is the development of routes of career progression for staff. The lack of these had been previously flagged up as an issue by team members. However, Pete’s changes have meant there have now been numerous promotions within the team and new roles created, such as a patient experience manager.
