Antrim Ballymena GP Federation Quarterly Newsletter - Autumn 2025
- Northern Federation Support Unit
- Oct 31
- 8 min read
A note from the Chair - Dr Alan Lewis
Colleagues
I hope you are all keeping well and trying to keep positive despite the busyness of our job with its associated stresses and the ongoing collective action. I have found NI LMC and BMA websites very helpful for information regarding collective action and associated posters etc.
We are looking forward to another PBL afternoon in November and, with DUC cover for this date, hopefully every practice will be able to attend this training. I look forward to seeing you there and hopefully member directors of Antrim and Ballymena GP federation will be able to stay on for our planned AGM.
Northern FSU have completed the second medical admin academy where a cohort of 7 completed an 8 week training program. Several participants from our pilot Admin Academy have since gone on to secure roles or gain valuable experience within local practices.
Well done to all involved and we wish the current cohort every success in finding work in general practice also!
This is all for now. Thanks as always.
Joanne Caldwell & Aislinn Carey - Lead General Practice Pharmacists
It’s been a busy few months for the Federation Pharmacy Team, and we’re delighted to share some exciting staffing updates and key dates as we move into the end of the year.
👩⚕️ Staffing Updates
We’re pleased to welcome back Aislinn, who has returned from maternity leave and is now covering in Glens of Antrim Practice.
Emma Laverty also returned at the end of September and has joined the teams at Mountview and Rockfield Practices.
Looking ahead, Sinead will return from maternity leave in November, resuming her roles in Oriel and Mountview Practices.
As we celebrate returns, we also prepare to wish Amy and Lorraine the very best as they both begin their maternity leave next month. We’ll certainly miss them during their time away and look forward to their return in due course.
Read about recruitment here
Our recruitment campaign closes on Monday 13 October, and we’re hopeful this will result in the appointment of two new temporary GPPs to support the team during this busy period.
A warm welcome to Ansu Babu, who has joined the team and is based in Antrim Castle Practice.
Congratulations to Emma Hughes on completing her Independent Prescribing course — a fantastic achievement and milestone in her professional development.
In September, our GPPs also took part in Lipid Management Training, gaining valuable updates on current guidance and targets for both primary and secondary prevention.
Dates for Your Diary
🗓️ 19 November – PBL
🗓️ 26 November – CPR Training with Safe Hands, Dunsilly Hotel
🎄 11 December – Team Christmas Lunch
🙌 Thank You
Finally, a huge thank you to all our practices and GPPs for their continued support, flexibility, and teamwork over what has been a challenging few months of cover.
Your commitment and collaboration are greatly appreciated.
Federation Education
Dr John Goodrich - Educational Lead
🗓️ Practice Closure Cover & Study Days
We are delighted to have secured Dalriada Urgent Care for cover during three afternoons of practice closures this year.
The first day, held on 24 September, was set aside for practice in-house training.
The second day will take place on Wednesday 19 November, when we are planning a Federation-wide study day at Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort.
Click to find out more about this event and register 🔗
You are invited to attend the upcoming Antrim Ballymena Education Event taking place on:
📅Wednesday 19th November
⏱️2pm – 5pm (with AGM for Member Directors at 5-6pm)
📍Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort
This event brings together all practice teams from across the locality for an afternoon of professional learning and development, offering a choice of sessions tailored to both clinical and non-clinical staff.
Please see the attached agenda for full details of the sessions and timings.
> Room 1 – Paediatrics 🚼
📍The Four Seasons Suite
This session will focus on a range of common and important paediatric presentations encountered in primary care. Through a series of expert-led talks, speakers will cover practical management and clinical updates on key topics including diabetes, allergy, reflux and CMPA, asthma and the wheezy child, and abdominal pain and constipation.
> Room 2 - Strengthening Practice Teams 🔗
📍The Ghost House
This interactive session is designed to support everyone within the practice team – from Clinicians and Practice Managers to reception and administrative staff.
Delivered by SquareBox Training Consultancy, the session focuses on building resilience, improving communication, and strengthening team dynamics. Through practical reflection and real-life scenarios, participants will gain insight into how to work more effectively with colleagues, manage challenges, and enhance everyday interactions to create a positive and professional workplace culture.
Please register now by [clicking here] to confirm your attendance and indicate which session you plan to join. We ask that registrations are completed one form per person to ensure delegate numbers for each session.
Registration will close on Friday 14th November 2025.
The third PLT date is planned for 25 February 2026. More details will be confirmed in due course.
Northern GP Federation Support Unit Update (NFSU)
To put a face to our names and for the relevant contact details, click here -
NFSU Project Update
Naomi Hutchinson - Business Support Manager
Medical Admin Academy
🎓 NFSU Celebrates Another Successful Medical Administration Academy
NFSU is delighted to announce the successful completion of another Medical Administration Academy, delivered in partnership with the Mid & East Antrim Labour Market Partnership (MEALMP) and funded by the Department for Communities.
This innovative programme, which began in September 2025, equipped participants with essential medical administration and employability skills tailored specifically to general practice.
Read more here
The academy concluded with a celebration event on 23 October at the Ecos Hub, Ballymena, recognising participants’ achievements, confidence, and readiness to begin careers within GP practices — with some already progressing into placements or employment.
NFSU extends sincere thanks to all participants, facilitators, partner GP practices, and practice managers who supported the programme by offering placements, attending events, or contributing in other ways.
It is also worth noting that income generated through initiatives like the Medical Administration Academy contributes positively to our Federation’s financial reserves.
These funds allow us to reinvest in our Member Practices by supporting future events and programmes, such as “Understanding the New MCHP.”
Your continued support and engagement in these initiatives enable us to deliver meaningful opportunities and value across the Federation.
💷 Economies of Scale – Cost Saving Information Live on Website!
🖨️ Printer Cartridges NI
Our Suggested Supplier, Printer Cartridges NI, is offering Member Practices an excellent deal on Zebra ZD410 labels:
Product Details | Specification |
Size | 57mm x 32mm (White) |
Quantity | 1,000 per roll · 10 rolls per pack |
Price | £55.00 (inc. VAT & delivery) |
That’s just £4.58 per roll! 🎉
Click here to add to your favourites
Take a moment to explore the other cost-saving information we have researched and summarised, now available on our website:
🔗 www.northernfsu.co.uk/economies-of-scale
We would encourage everyone to bookmark this page for easy access.
To do so, once you click on the link, simply save it to your favourites in your browser, as per the following:
We’ll be continuing to develop this project by reviewing and updating the information regularly — so feel free to visit frequently!
🏥 Best Practice Session: Understanding the New MCHP
We were delighted to welcome Julie Healy and Michaela Mackin from NIPSO to Ecos Hub on Wednesday 22 October 2025 for an engaging Best Practice Session on the new Model Complaints Handling Procedure (MCHP) for the Health and Social Care sector.
Julie and Michaela guided attendees through what the new procedure means for GP Practices and how it will change existing processes.The MCHP will replace the Department of Health Complaint Directions and become a statutory requirement in January 2026, giving Practices an opportunity to begin preparing early.
During the session, a letter from SPPG, dated 10 October, was mentioned — one which NFSU and NIPSO had not yet seen.
On behalf of Northern Member Practices, NFSU (Naomi) kindly offered to respond to this letter to seek further clarity on the steps SPPG are considering as part of their “Honest Broker” role.
Practices are keen to be involved in these discussions to ensure statutory obligations are met while keeping processes efficient and manageable in an already demanding environment.
NFSU has since submitted a formal response (as of 30 October) and will keep Practices updated once a reply is received.
Read more here
We were delighted with the excellent turnout:
56 people registered from 47 Northern Practices (71%)
46 attended on the day, representing 35 Practices (53%)
A big thank you to everyone who took part and contributed to the discussion!
If you register for an event but are later unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible — this helps us keep costs low and plan future sessions effectively.
📄 Additional Resources
Attached are the materials shared during the session:
You can also find more details and resources on the NIPSO Website.
👥 Staff Update
🩺 Appointment of Northern Governance Lead
We are pleased to welcome Anne Witherow as the new Northern Federations Governance Lead.
Anne brings extensive experience in governance from her time working within the Western Health and Social Care Trust. In her new role, Anne will support consistent and robust governance arrangements across Federations, including within GPP, MDT, ANP, and GPN services.
This role has been developed to strengthen governance structures at a Northern Federation level and build on the good work already in place within individual Federations. Federation governance leads will continue to operate locally, with Anne providing coordination, support, and assurance across the region.
We look forward to working with Anne as she settles into her role.
💼 Appointment of Project Coordinator – NFSU
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Hannah Wilson as Project Coordinator within the Northern GP Federation Support Unit (NFSU).
Hannah will play a key role in coordinating and delivering a range of projects and workstreams, providing expert business support across the four Northern Federations — Antrim Ballymena, Causeway, East Antrim, and Mid Ulster.
Her work will support the implementation of new services and initiatives and ensure the smooth and timely delivery of project outcomes.
Watch This Space
📝 Upcoming Member Survey
We are in the process of developing a Member Survey that will soon be shared with all Northern Member Practices.
The aim of this survey is to gather valuable insights to help us better understand your priorities and ensure that NFSU’s work remains aligned with the needs of your Practice — while taking into account the practical constraints we operate within.
For example, we are currently exploring training requirements across Practices and assessing whether there are opportunities to support cost savings through centralised training options.Your input will be essential in shaping how we move forward with initiatives like these.
💻 Practice Index Learning Update
Following a meeting with our Practice Index Account Manager at the end of September, we are currently exploring a range of options, which will be discussed further with our Executive Team.
At this stage, it is likely that the Federation will not continue funding Practice Index Learning.
This decision is being considered as 47% of Practices have never completed a course through the platform, and only 11% have completed more than 100 courses over the past three years.
However, we are in discussions to secure the most competitive pricing possible for Practices that actively use several components of Practice Index.
Please keep an eye on our general communications and upcoming newsletters for further updates.
Accurx Scribe in Northern Ireland –
Demo & Live Q&A
Join Accurx for an exclusive session introducing Accurx Scribe, their exciting new product designed to transform the way you work. A member of the Accurx clinical team will be in attendance to provide expert insight and answer your questions.
In this interactive session, you’ll:
Discover what Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) is and how it can benefit your practice
Learn how to get started with Accurx Scribe
Watch a live demo showcasing its features and how they can add value to your workflow
Find out about our free trial, how it works, and what’s next
Take part in a live Q&A with the Accurx team
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how Accurx Scribe can enhance your day-to-day clinical practice.
Click to register for the Demo & Live Q&A
Contact us
As always if you have any questions for the FSU, please do not hesitate to contact the Federation Support Unit on info@northernfsu.co.uk or 02896208333
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Date of next newsletter - January 2026
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