Practice Management Network Steering Group

 Sam Clark

Sandy Gower

Sandy has been the Managing Partner of Bennetts End Surgery since 1997.  She is a Trustee of the National Association for Patient Participation and a Member of the National Education Programme for Supporting Carers in a General Practice Steering Group.  In addition she is the Practice Management Co-Lead for the General Practice Foundation of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Sandy aligns with the Royal College of General Practitioners on the steering group.

Val Hempsey

'I feel the network is long overdue, a forum for all Managers to not only support each other but to share information, advice, resources and skills. We have in the past worked in individual silos, then we realized the huge benefits of networking with other Managers from all sort of practices, all sorts of geographical areas as lots of us were fortunate enough to be able to join or be part of organizations that supported us.

Now we have a forum that has brought together all of that into one arena - brilliant!.'

Val aligns with the National Association of Primary Care on the steering group.

Elizabeth Mather

I am a Manager Partner at Beacon View Medical Centre in Gateshead, one of the first PFI buildings in the area and has held Investors in People award five times. I have worked in General Practice for the past 35 years most of it in Gateshead, but in the early days in Newcastle. A Manager since 1987 completing  the 1989 AMSPAR Diploma and AMGP diploma 1994. I continued on my training completing the Professional Certificate in Management through the Open University in 1996. In 2002 I became a Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, specialising in Clinical Hypnotherapy, completing my Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis in 2005. A member of the British Thought Field Therapy Association in 2006.  

Elizabeth aligns with the Institute of Healthcare Management on the steering group.

Geraldine Taggart-Jeewa

"The Practice Management Network is a wonderful opportunity for frontline managers to contribute to the direction of healthcare policy. It is driven by working practice managers who know how important it is to keep up to date. It combines excellent links to policy shapers with the practical provision of useful documentation, current guides and information from the organisations supporting this exciting development."

Geraldine aligns with the Family Doctor Association on the steering group.

Steve Williams

“ I have always been vocal about raising the profile of the modern practice manager and giving our profession a voice.  The Practice Management Network is an ideal platform to do this”

Steve Williams has worked in or with the NHS since 1984. He is a former Royal Navy Officer and a qualified accountant and manager.  He works as a strategic manager for a group of practices in London.  He is Honorary Treasurer and council member for AMSPAR.  He has worked at all levels of the NHS and He has written numerous articles and regularly comments on topical issues.  He has lectured on many primary care topics and is a successful author on primary care management.  He has acted as an expert commissioner for the long term conditions toolkit developed in conjunction with Asthma UK, Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation.

He has been an associate tutor for the Institute of Health Policy Studies at the University of Southampton  and contributed towards the development of various modules of their post graduate and Msc Programmes. He was a member of the advisory panel for the NHS Specialist Management Library at the Kings Fund and has been a member of the advisory panel for the Professional Development Committee at the IHM.

Steve aligns with AMSPAR on the steering group

Russell Vine

 I am a practice manager since 1993, partner since 2004, settled into the area I work, interested in all aspects and influencers of the job and passionate to try and make the bit of the service I work within perform ever better and to ensure practice managers are recognised for the work that we do.

My practice is Hassengate Medical Centre, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. It is a growing practice which has moved from 5,000ish when I joined to 11,900+ patients now. I have 6 GP partners, GP registrar, 2 practice nurses, Healthcare assistant, phlebotomist and 15 other part-time support staff.

Apart from being aligned with the BMA on the steering group, I am also the Chair of a local Clinical Commsioning Group Pathfinder, a Clinical Commisioning Champion with teh RCGP, lead organiser for the local practice managers group and an early adopter of the RCGP's Accredited Practice quality initiative.

Russell is aligns with the BMA on the steering group.

Caroline Kerby 

I have been privileged to work in primary care management since 1986 and have been truly inspired by the commitment and contribution of practice management to the improvement of patient care. Networking is second nature to practice managers to seek new information for their practice and support colleagues. The national network brings together the leading primary care organisations to recognise the strength and capacity of practice managers when they work collaboratively.

Caroline aligns with NHS Alliance on the steering group.

Purpose

Launched in September 2009 with the financial support of the Department of Health, the stated purpose of the PMN is to:
 
Create/develop a national network of practice managers – run by practice managers for practice managers in order to:

• Influence policy*
• Share good practice*
• Unite the profession*
• Develop the profession
• Support the profession
• Champion the profession 

(* prioritised at the Business Planning Meeting for 2011/2012)

Vision/Strategic Goals

Five key strategic goals have been identified:

• UNITING
o To consolidate the relationship between organisations with an interest in practice management through membership of the Steering Group, in order to facilitate sharing of information, collaboration on key projects and fostering greater understanding between these organisations and where the PMN fits in
o To provide support to the profession through key changes happening in the NHS in order to unite the profession and strengthen its voice in talking to others

• MEMBERSHIP
o To develop the network to involve as many practice managers in the UK as possible, in order to enable effective two-way communications – distributing information out to the profession, as well as seeking feedback to inform decision-makers and others
o To continue to develop the website as the focal point for information for and about practice management

• BUSINESS
o To ensure the long-term viability of the PMN by actively seeking a mix of funding through advertising, sponsorship and potentially membership subscriptions

• SHARING GOOD PRACTICE
o To facilitate the communication and sharing of best practice among practice managers in order to raise the standards of practice management for the benefit of patient care

• INFLUENCING POLICY
o To provide expert advice to decision-makers (Department of Health and others) to help inform the development of policies impacting on general practice and primary care

The Practice Management Network Steering Group's Terms of Reference