teAMWorKinG
What’s the buzz about
teamworking?
in the run-up to revalidation, “locum teams” has joined a family of
M
o
oxymorons such as “open secret” and “found missing”. But are locums
.
c
t
o
o
H
really working in well-organised groups, or is it a myth? Dr Richard Fieldhouse,
p
K
c
t
o
founder of the national association of sessional gps (nasgp), investigates
s
l
l
e
/
i
a
a
ll great solutions to appoint some clinical and conditions. these network of feedback systems
descend from a directors to oversee the conditions are not designed and processes aimed at
problem. You cannot running of smaller discrete to act as small print to tie allowing individuals, separate
invent something if there is chambers, each with no members in, but they are a chambers and practices to
not a need for it in the first more than 12 members liberating guide to how we monitor all our professional
place. the creation and and each with a chamber can work most effectively in interactions. for conventional
development of our locum leader. the clinical directors a way that benefits all the independent locums,
chambers not only prove would employ staff to members, the practices we such monitoring would be
this, but the huge change take on all the non-clinical work for, and their patients. hard to achieve and, as
that it’s bringing to locum aspects of running each for example, all members loosely-affiliated individuals
gps illustrates the sort of member’s day-to-day non- are asked to use the name within a conventional
problems faced by locums. clinical business, such as badges and door plates locum group, it would be a
booking, invoicing, banking, provided for them. apart from complicated spider’s web.
More than “just certification, appraisal, the obvious benefit of staff But as a coherent and highly-
a locum” information and marketing, and patients being able to organised team, with access
My colleagues and i started etc. this proved successful. see our names, the removal to financial and physical
working as a team because resources, our managers
locuming independently
wasn’t effective. We ran a
My colleagues and I started
and directors facilitate
the collection of pertinent
local voluntary locum group.
this was a reliable way of
working as a team because
information from practice
staff, patients, consultants
meeting fellow locums and
locuming independently
and other team members.
getting all our practice woes
off our chests, but it was
wasn’t effective
…and have access
hit and miss – attendance to more learning
was patchy and there was together with a rolling
little or no commitment from now, all new members of professional anonymity programme of formal clinical
some members to work are interviewed by a clinical brings with it a sense of meetings to discuss and
more closely. so we put a director and a chambers emancipation that focuses plan outcomes from all
small business plan together lead. if it goes well, and their our minds as professional these sources, not only do
and made a commitment references are excellent, then gps in our own right, and we learn more about our
to create a team of like- they are accepted into one gives us an enhanced personal clinical practice,
minded locums to transcend of the chambers, subject to sense of control over our but we are fully empowered
all the misconceptions of all other members agreeing working environment. to actually do something
being “just a locum”. and a six-month probation to improve it too.
period. so teamworking you get more
the Holy Grail has proved a real benefit feedback… you can spread
of locuming for locums, but it is also How am i doing? What’s “best practice”
to do this, we needed to beneficial for the reasons the rest of my team up to? periodically, each chamber
achieve the ultimate goal which i will now discuss. What do others think of us? chooses a practice that
of good locuming, which What is it that makes our it would like to pass on
tied in all aspects of clinical More consistency locum team work? asking advice to – whether this
governance, booking work all members – and questions is a great way of is regarding the repeat
and professionalism. practices – have to sign gaining feedback. cementing prescribing procedures (or
our basic idea was up to the chambers terms our chambers together is a lack of), the heavy-handed
16 sessional gp | voluMe 1 | 2009 www.mps.org.uk
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