Great Western Medical Practice

As with all city surgeries, managing the day to day running can mean juggling a multitude of HR issues to ensure standards are kept high.

GPs deal with a whole range of health problems. They run clinics, give vaccinations and carry out simple surgical operations. GPs usually work in practices as part of a team, which includes nurses, healthcare assistants, practice managers, receptionists and other staff.

Practices also work closely with other healthcare professionals, such as health visitors, midwives, mental health services and social care services. There are estimated to be 7,613 GP practices in England, 958 in Scotland, 454 in Wales and 349 in Northern Ireland.

Whether it’s mediating between staff and GPs over benefits like pay or managing daily HR issues like sickness & absence – the Great Western Medical Practice always takes the correct action depending on the situation.

“Staff pay is something which we are currently working through. We have about 26 people working here and have experienced quite a high turnover of GPs because of retirement. More recently we have started to take GPs on with salaried contracts and needed Croner’s assistance to re-jig them,” says Pauline Irving, Practice Manager.

"With Croner’s help we drafted and re-drafted them a couple of times. This has been very helpful to me as I feel like I’ve got a crutch and I do not have to worry if my contracts or the Ts & Cs are out of date."

“We have had some very good advice from Croner about how to handle the situation, which is helping to guide our GPs to take the right decisions. This is essential as our GPs aren’t employment law experts and it offers me peace of mind that the action we look to take is the correct course.

“Croner make it clear when we speak that it’s all a process and it’s not personal. The guidance we receive enables us to give feedback on situations like pay, line for line, to ensure the proper processes are followed.”

Another source of support from Croner for the GP practice has been advice on contracts, as many of the GPs there are now on salaries.

“We have a contract review as part of our agreement with Croner, so I can be confident that if any employment law changes need making, then Croner will let me know.”

Croner’s employment and health & safety teams are on hand 24/7, 365 days a year. With unrivaled experience in the industry, Croner’s employment law advisers are some of the most knowledgeable professionals in their respective fields. As an invaluable resource and as part of the system, all Croner Professional users are able to take advantage of business advice.

Pauline added: “It is an ear to listen to any HR related issues we have and at the end of the day we have to deliver the advice but it’s good to know that it’s the right advice.”