Manager Practice


Keynote speaker takes PM conference into orbit


WHAT DOES your average medical or dental practice share with NASA? Quite a bit when it comes to being a “safety critical organisation”. This is the theme of the keynote address to be given by Stephen Carver of the Cranfield School of Management at the 2012 MDDUS Practice Managers’ Conference being held on 1-2 March 2012 at the Fairmont St Andrews. The full conference programme is now available and includes workshops on understanding


your team and yourself using the DISC behavioral awareness tool, assertiveness skills, risk management at the primary-secondary care interface, dealing with bullying and harassment, changing employment contracts, handling media inquires and much more. Bookings are now rolling in so to register your interest or to find out more go to our website or contact Karen Walsh at kwalsh@mddus.comor on0845 270 2034.


Employees to pay fee for tribunals


EMPLOYEES making claims in employment tribunals will be charged a fee from April 2013 according to plans announced by the Chancellor George Osborne. Workers will face a £150 to £250 charge to


make any employment tribunal application and a further £1,000 for starting a hearing. There will be a refund for any individual who wins their case and the upfront fee may be waived or reduced for low-paid claimants or those out of work. The measures are intended to reduce the


number of vexatious claims and supporters of the change say it will save businesses £6m a year in payouts and legal fees. The chancellor also confirmed that from


April next year the qualifying period for an employee to bring a claim of unfair dismissal will rise from one to two years. At present employees only need to have been working in an organisation for one year. Last year, 236,000 employment tribunal


claims were made and the average award to successful claimants was £8,900, while organisations spent an average of £4,000 defending cases. "We are ending the one way bet against small businesses," Mr Osborne told the Conservative conference in Manchester.


Dental practices warned over discount deals


DENTAL practices offering discounted treatment deals must not forget their responsibilities to patients, the General Dental Council has said. The GDC issued the reminder in the wake


of the increasing number of cut-price offers made available via email and online by compa- nies such as Groupon and Living Social. The regulator highlighted its guidance that


warns dental professionals not to make claims that could mislead patients and requires prac- titioners to be trustworthy and honest, ensuring financial interests are not prioritised ahead of patients’ interests. Dental professionals who breach guidance


could face action to restrict or stop them prac- tising, the GDC added. The regulator said: “If a GDC registered


dental professional offers a treatment deal he or she must assess the patient, obtain valid consent, obtain a medical history and explain all the options before carrying out any work. Registrants must put patients’ interests before their own or those of any colleague, organisation or business.” The GDC is currently drawing up draft guid-


ance on ethical advertising as part of its review of Standards for dental professionals.


Patient guide to primary care


A STEP-BY-STEP guide to help patients get the most from their GP practice has been launched by the Royal College of General Practitioners. It’s Your Practice: A patient guide to GP


CALLING all dental practice managers – would you like to find out about the latest MDDUS training courses that can be tailored to suit your practice’s needs? MDDUS training and


consultancy services are designed to help dentists, doctors, practice managers and their wider healthcare teams manage and miti- gate business and clinical risk. We have developed a


WWW.MDDUS.COM


range of training courses, masterclasses and work- shops tailored to suit different groups, many of which are free or of minimal cost to members. If you don’t already


receive email updates about the range of training courses available to members and non- members, then contact Ann Fitzpatrick at afitzpatrick@mddus.com.


services is a free resource that contains infor- mation on topics including choosing and registering with a surgery, making appoint- ments, accessing health records and how patients can get involved in the running of a local surgery. It highlights the differences in GP services


across the four nations and has links to organ- isations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers who can also provide support for patients. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical


Director, said: “Primary care is the backbone of our NHS, but no two GP practices are the same. This guide will help people understand how primary care works so they can engage with and get the most from a practice of their choice.” Access the guide at


www.tinyurl.com/3e3zf2s 03


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