Shadow GP consortia so far mostly ignoring Sessional GPs

This month’s survey asking sessional GPs if they’re being involved with commissioning seems to confirm that emerging consortia are not involving sessionals in GP commissioning.

Over two-thirds of the 223 sessional GPs surveyed say they have received no communication from PCTs or consortia inviting them to get involved in GP commissioning.

At a time when the profession is split over its support for reform, it makes no sense for consortia to exclude this huge pool of enthusiastic, experienced GPs. Although not all Sessional GPs will want to be involved in the reforms, each consortium is likely to contain practices within it that are reluctant to help commission. Therefore consortia should make sure that they get everyone who wants to get involved, is involved.

Why doctors should write poems

Hilton Koppe is a genial Australian GP whose talent for engaging an audience can be judged by the fact that he can cajole Aussie orthopods to write poetry. His thesis is that we spend our lives writing down patients’ stories, but are not encouraged to reflect on them or allowed to admit our emotional involvement. He argues that we need a way of making sense of the dramas which we witness, and creative writing offers us that opportunity.