Causeway GP Federation Quarterly Newsletter - Summer 2025
- Northern Federation Support Unit
- Aug 4
- 25 min read
Updated: Aug 6
A note from the Chair - Dr Johnny Burns
Colleagues
I hope this finds you well. I wanted to begin by taking a moment to recognise and honour the work happening across our Federation and through the support of our wider NFSU team.
This newsletter is full of examples of how our Federation continues to evolve and deliver real impact for both patients and staff. Whether it’s practice-based service delivery, community partnerships, or Federation-led support, the momentum is strong, and it’s thanks to your continued commitment and enthusiasm.
🔹 NFSU-Led Projects
You’ll see a number of exciting updates on key NFSU initiatives that are making a real difference:
The Medical Admin Academy returns this September with renewed funding support, a fantastic opportunity to build a future-ready workforce.
Our Practice Managers’ Working Group continues to grow, offering an important voice in shaping Federation direction and delivery.
Practices across the Federation are now benefitting from free access to the Practice Index HR Package, including Holiday Manager, until January 2026. If you haven’t yet explored this, I’d encourage you to do so.
The Economies of Scale project is progressing well, with more practices making use of cost-effective, high-quality supplier options for everyday needs like shredding and scrubs.
📚 Education & Events
We’re also looking ahead to our next Causeway Hot Topics Event on 24th September, which will offer a high-quality afternoon and evening of clinical learning, discussion, and networking. It’s fantastic to have Dalriada Urgent Care providing us with practice cover again, helping more of you attend. Do keep an eye out for more information and the booking link soon.
🌍 Wider Federation Achievements
You’ll also read about the impressive work of our MDT teams, from the development of FCPs and SMHPs, to the ever-expanding community partnerships led by Social Work. I’m particularly encouraged by the creativity and compassion shown in these programmes, from the HUG bereavement group and Warm Hubs, to innovative initiatives like the Chatty Carriage and Yoga4Health.
And of course, our Federation GPP team continues to go from strength to strength, with further qualifications achieved, new staff joining, and impactful service development underway.
🔍 Final Words
This newsletter is a testament to the range and quality of work happening across our area, and I would strongly encourage you to read through and share it with your teams. It’s easy to lose sight of how much is being delivered day to day, but updates like this offer an important reminder of the progress we’re making, together.
Thank you as always for your support, and I hope many of you get the chance for a well-earned summer break in the weeks ahead.
MDT - Senior Mental Health Practitioners
Joanne Hamilton - Deputy Mental Health Manager
🎉Celebrating ONE Year of the Emotional Health & Wellbeing Guide!
In May 2025, we were thrilled to mark the first anniversary of our Emotional Health and Wellbeing Guide! 🧠💙
It’s been a fantastic year, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible support and contributions from our local community and voluntary sector. Our goal from the start has been to promote well-being within the Causeway community, and thanks to your involvement, we’ve made real strides in supporting early prevention health needs and tailoring support to our patients’ needs.
To celebrate the occasion, we welcomed local stakeholders to a special afternoon event — a celebration that also doubled as our first Anniversary Review and Feedback Meeting. 🎂🗣️
It was a brilliant opportunity to:
Reflect on what’s been achieved so far
Share feedback and ideas
Build momentum for the future
We’re pleased to report the event was a great success — thank you to everyone who has supported and engaged with this project over the past year. 🙌
SMHPs Grow Together, Lead with Confidence
Our team of SMHPs were fortunate to have had the opportunity to come together to attend the Macmillan’s Family Model Training Workshop
Macmillan’s lived experience group has adapted the Family Model training to provide clinicians with a concise and practical approach to family-focused practice.
This training is specifically designed to empower patients and their family networks, helping them to thrive during their recovery journey.
The SMHPs have gained valuable knowledge and skills that will undoubtedly benefit both their practice and the patients they support.
During the recent workshop, SMHPs engaged in a variety of enriching activities, including: -
Discussing the Interplay of Wellbeing - They explored the connection between parental mental and physical health and how it impacts family dynamics.
Understanding Family-Focused Practice - They delved into the principles of family-focused practice and how to apply The Family Model effectively.
Addressing Cancer Disruptions - The application of these principles to individuals and families facing a cancer diagnosis was a key focus.
Practicing Conversations - SMHPs had the chance to explore and practice the necessary skills for facilitating family-focused conversations.
Wellness in Action: SMHPs Drive Mental Health Awareness with Passion
During this year's Mental Health Awareness Week 12th -18th May, we came together to celebrate the power of community!
With the theme of "community", #ThisIsMyCommunity, we focused on the vital role strong connections play in our mental well-being. Our dedicated SMHPs, along with our MDT and practice staff, teamed up to encourage our patients to reflect on what community means to them.
We asked questions that sparked meaningful conversations: What inspires you about your community? What are you grateful for? What makes your community feel like home? It's amazing to see how we thrive when surrounded by supportive communities.
Together, we can foster a sense of belonging, safety, and purpose.
We're thrilled with the positive response and the engaging discussions that emerged around community initiatives. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts – your voices truly matter!
🌟 Compliment Corner 🌟
A Heartfelt Thank You to Patrina (SMHP) and the Team at Mountstandel Surgery
I’m delighted to share this kind message from Tamara Cetin, a PWP Trainee with the University of Ulster, who recently completed her placement at Mountstandel Surgery:
"During my placement, I felt incredibly welcomed and supported by the whole team. Working alongside my SMHP Supervisor Patrina gave me valuable insight into delivering low-intensity interventions in a primary care setting, and I learned so much from the compassionate, client-centred approach of the service. It was a genuinely positive and enriching experience that helped me grow both professionally and personally, and I'm very grateful for the kindness and encouragement I received throughout."
Thank you to Patrina and the entire team at Mountstandel Surgery for creating such a supportive learning environment and for continuing to embody the values of compassionate care. 👏
MDT - First Contact Physiotherapists
Suzanne Kennedy - Consultant Physiotherapist
We’re already halfway through 2025 — the months are flying by, and it feels like no time since our last newsletter was published!
🚀 MDT Progress & FCP Expansion
There has been good progress with the MDT roll-out into additional Federations regionally, and I’m pleased to share that First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs) will be implemented into the East Antrim Federation towards the end of 2025.
📌 Funding has been approved for four whole-time equivalent posts this year.
A waiting list is in place to facilitate getting staff into post as quickly as possible, with offers currently being issued. A phased roll-out is planned over the next four years, as additional funding becomes available.
🎓 Celebrating Staff Achievements
👏 Congratulations to Vikki, Paula, and Ethan on successfully passing their non-medical prescribing course!
This now means that all FCPs in Causeway are independent prescribers, able to prescribe within their scope of practice — a fantastic achievement!
🩺 Good luck to Shauna and Ethan, who are currently undertaking their injection training and will sit their practical exam in November.
Staff also recently attended:
A non-medical prescribing training update
An interactive red flag recognition session
💚 Wellbeing & Patient Feedback
In August, our focus turns to staff wellbeing, with a Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing session planned.
We were delighted to receive positive feedback through Care Opinion from a patient attending FCP in Kilrea Health Centre — well done Margaret, it's wonderful to see the service being recognised by our local community. 🌟
👶 Community Link: Baby & Me Group
FCP Clare Doherty recently linked in with Health Visitor Samantha Clyde, who runs the “Baby & Me” group in Ballymoney — aimed at first-time mums.
Clare provided professional advice on:
Postnatal recovery
Expectations vs. reality
Normal timeframes
She also took time to speak with each mum individually to offer support and signposting to helpful information and services. The group combines baby massage, advice, tea/coffee, and rotating healthcare professionals — a fantastic example of holistic care in action.
🧘♂️ Community Partnership: Yoga4Health
We’re continuing to work with our community partners and are excited to be offering the new Yoga4Health programme starting September in both Coleraine and Ballymoney. We hope this initiative will benefit many of our patients through improved physical and emotional well-being.
☀️ Final Word
Thank you to everyone for your continued hard work and dedication. I hope each of you gets the break and rest you deserve over the summer!
MDT - Social Work
Elizabeth Craig - Social Work Lead
MDT Social Work have had a busy quarter with ongoing surgery work addressing issues such as housing problems, ASD/ADHD, social isolation, frailty, addictions, social problems and parenting stresses. There has been a significant increase in ASD/ADHD referrals. Our staff highlight how they are addressing the ongoing issues in our society particularly around lack of housing, loneliness and school avoidance. In the past quarter the Social Work Staff in the 15 GP practices we cover have seen 2077 patients/ service users and have held 3605 consultations.
An essential aspect of MDT Social Work is community development work which aims to address issues in our communities before they come to primary care, thus saving General Practice time and resources and also hopefully preventing onward referral to secondary services. This community based and social prescribing model is developing in Causeway locality with significant projects across our area. We are working with our community, voluntary, statutory and spiritual partners to address the needs in our communities before issues become clinical and/or more complex.
✅Case Studies – HUG in Coleraine and Warm Hub Rub
There are over 80 patients on the register for HUG group across the 4 GP Practices in the Coleraine area, with twenty seven new members in the 2024-2025 financial year.
Click here to read more
Brief summary of outcomes
The goals of HUG include the facilitation of the grieving process and, implicitly or explicitly, the prevention or alleviation of the detrimental consequences of bereavement which can include mental ill health, social isolation, anxiety, stress, community development substance misuse, self-neglect and sleep. All these issues present in primary care and by offering community support early we aim to prevent these issues coming into both primary and secondary care services.
Figures 3 and 4 depict the positive outcomes expressed by participants in the various areas of their life in terms of health and wellbeing:
Other comments:
Great to meet up with different people
It is such a friendly group of people and our leaders are great
Great company and food friends are made
Good company and meeting new friends gets you out of your apartment. A good way of meeting people who are in the same situation as you are.
Has been very interesting, good fun, lovely company and a reason to come out of my own four walls. Lonely is not a good place to be and coming here gives us a new lease of life. Thank you girls and thank you Cathy
Very good meetings. Well organised. Good for me to meet with others as I live alone. Varied programme and caring leaders. Well done
Doing a good job - thanks
Well run, very friendly and helpful
Helps people living on their own to make friends
HUG is excellent. It has given me a new outlook and I love all the things we do. All the girls are very good to everyone.
Yes, it's good to talk when you are feeling down
Very good for friendship and company. Some new ideas for pass time at home, interesting trips and speakers. The leaders are so friendly
Very good, very helpful during a very difficult time in my life
It has really helped me after the loss of my loved one
Every week we have fun and meet someone new - all friendly
Life changing place to come
The best things I have joined since being on my own. Great activities, made new friends where we go places outside HUG. Would never have happened if I wasn't in HUG - all friends
I think the world of Cathy and the girls
I was newly widowed when HUG contacted me as it was lockdown. We couldn't meet but as life become more normal - we met. Wonderful to get out, make friends, a cup of tea or coffee & a chat. HUG has helped me - long may it last
Thoroughly enjoyed meeting with people who have been bereaved. Very helpful
Our group is so friendly - It's fantastic
Everything is great.
❤️Rasharkin Warm Hub
The main objective of RWH is to ensure that members of the community are welcomed into a warm, safe and friendly environment, where they can enjoy a warm drink and a snack. In addition, they have the company of other people, as well as access to services. It is very much a ‘back to basics’ and pragmatic approach. There are now around 45 participants and the project highlights the essential aspects of co-production with key stakeholders (statutory, voluntary and community) working together empowering their communities. Volunteers from the local community are instrumental and work collaboratively with all involved. The project runs on a weekly basis addressing issues of poverty, isolation and loneliness.
Click to see projects
There are:
Weekly informal drop-in social sessions (e.g. luncheon club, coffee afternoons, gardening sessions) from October – May
Experiences to reduce isolation and build confidence.
Skill development (e.g. cooking, gardening, computer literacy on available laptops).
Creative activities (e.g. craft, music).
Exercise-based activities and classes. (Walking Group)
Knowledge sharing through guest speakers (e.g. Make the call benefits, nutrition, batch cooking, using your freezer, keeping healthy, supporting people in a similar situation).
Energy saving (tips, advice, draught excluders etc.)
The Hub has incorporated all members of the community and has been a life line for those struggling with loneliness, anxiety and isolation in this rural community.
🌊Initiatives across the locality
Ballymoney Surgery continue to operate a successful walking and craft groups and are establishing a Chatty Carriage Initiative with Causeway Loneliness Network. They have already established a network that are performing activities together and addressing social isolation. A recent trip to Castlerock highlighted the physical and mental benefits of activity based programmes that address frailty, disability, loneliness and low mood.
This holistic approach combining physical activity with mental wellbeing aims to decrease patients/ service users’ reliance on clinical services and present them with alternative strategies to enhance their own health.
Click to read more initiatives
Another successful Chatty Carriage event was held in June 2025 as part of loneliness week and had approximately 65 participants. Participants came from across the locality.
Organised by the Causeway Multi-Disciplinary Team Social Workers, the initiative aims to encourage social connections by providing opportunities for smart pass holders aged 60+ to get on board to chat, connect and engage with each other.
The issue of acute loneliness and social isolation is one of the biggest challenges facing our society and we want to take steps to address this. This was our sixth chatty carriage trip and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. As well as encouraging new connections, people also re-connected with friends they knew from their past.
We are very grateful to all our partners and the volunteers who help to make the chatty carriage such a success. Together we can tackle loneliness and isolation and help improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Lodge Health MDT Social Work also ran a very successful Strength and Balance Project open to patients across Coleraine. The 1 x 12 week Strength and Balance programme had 20 participants. The course was delivered by a fitness instructor and Health and Wellbeing related talks were arranged from the NHSCT Health and Wellbeing Officer, Causeway Older Active Strategic Team, Home Accident Prevention, NHSCT Falls Screening Service and Connect North.
15% of participants rated the class as Good and 85% rated the class Very Good. Comments on the course included people saying that they enjoyed ‘friendship and fun,’ ‘the company’ and also that the class made them more aware of falls prevention by ‘teaching them to use muscles I didn’t know I had’ and ‘making me more aware of how to get up and down off the chair.’
There continues to be a successful ASD group for parents in the Ballycastle surgeries with 25 participants.
Garvagh have very beneficial programmes for both men and women and a Forest Families project that assists parents struggling to meet their children’s needs.
The AC/DC Dementia Choir in partnership with Age Concern Causeway, was initiated a last September. The group meet weekly on a Monday at St. Andrews Church in Ballysally 2.30 – 3.30pm. Though they have started to go to different care homes to perform - so far they have visited The Cottage PNH, Seabank PNH and St James Lodge PNH and have been invited to The Brook in August. New participants are always welcome
CARUS the adult carers group continues to grow and now has over 150 members The carers receive weekly communication and meet monthly. They also have an opportunity to attend relevant courses and events throughout the year. New members are always welcome
Connect Wednesday for lonely people in the Coleraine vicinity is going from strength to strength.
📅Future Programmes and Initiatives
There are 17 seed funded groups progressing across the Causeway locality from late summer onwards. They are addressing parenting issues, challenging behaviours in conjunction with our Health Visiting colleagues, frailty, falls, emotional resilience/regulation, loneliness, stress, social exclusion, ASD/ADHD, Dementia and physical activity. A Yoga4Health initiative commencing in the Ballymoney and Coleraine localities will be in partnership with both our Physiotherapy and Mental Health teammates to address both the physical, social, emotional and mental aspects of patients’ lives.
A new initiative the Dementia Café is commencing in Coleraine as part of our seed funding money programme in partnership with Age Concern Causeway. It’s starting on 13th August and will run every Wednesday afternoon targeting those people living with Dementia / awaiting diagnosis and their family carers.
We are also working with our partners in the Health and Wellbeing Team in the NHSCT to look at creative initiatives of addressing community problems. Staff are also equipping staff to deal with issues presenting in surgeries including parenting problems, ASD/ADHD concerns and trauma through appropriate training to allow staff to address these matters before they become more complex and require in-depth primary or secondary service input.
Donna Campbell and Mary McBride - Lead General Practice Pharmacists
🏃♀️ Belfast City Marathon
The ‘Script Squad’ represented the Causeway GP Federation in the 2025 Belfast City Marathon, raising an incredible £2,022 for Dementia UK.A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored the team in support of this meaningful cause! 👏
🫁 Cardiopulmonary Risk Project
Mary McBride and Emma Archibald are finalising patient reviews across participating practices.A summary of results will be shared once the project is complete.
🎓 Foundation Programme
Best of luck to Cara Murdock and Kathryn Kane as they begin Year 2 of the Foundation Programme in September 2025!
💉 Independent Prescribing
Wishing Sarah Laverty and Gemma Clohessy every success as they start their Independent Prescribing qualification this autumn.
📚 Academic Achievements
🎓 Mary McBride – awarded her PG Diploma in Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice from Queen’s University Belfast (June 2025)
🫁 Susie Weir – completed her OCN Level 5 Asthma Diploma
🫁 Emma Archibald and Mary McBride – awarded OCN Level 5 COPD Diplomas(They’ve already been putting this training to excellent use during cardiopulmonary reviews!)
👋 Staff Update
We’re excited to welcome two new pharmacists to the team this September:Ciara McHugh and Catherine Parke will begin their induction training with lead GPPs Mary and Donna from 15th September 2025.
They are a very welcome addition, and we hope practices will join us in making them feel at home this autumn. 🍂
Federation Education / PBL
🔥 Upcoming Education Event: Hot Topics – Causeway GP Federation
📅 Date: Wednesday 24th September 2025
🕑 Time: 2pm – 9pm
📍 Venue: Royal Court Hotel, Portrush
🍽️ Dinner will be provided
We’re pleased to invite you to our Causeway GP Federation Hot Topics Event, a valuable afternoon and evening of clinical education, discussion, and networking.
This event is open to all GPs with a permanent attachment to a practice in our Federation area, as well as General Practice Pharmacists (GPPs) and Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs).
🩺 Practice Cover Provided
To support attendance, Dalriada Urgent Care will be providing practice cover from 2pm - 6pm, ensuring your teams can participate without the need to arrange internal cover.
💷 Subsidised Tickets
The standard attendance fee of £150 has been subsidised to just £50 per person — excellent value for an evidence-based and CPD-certified event!
📧 Booking Info
The booking link will open in August, and your Practice Manager will receive this by email with a request to share it with all eligible team members.
📚 Nurse Books
As nurses are unfortunately unable to attend on the day due to capacity limitations, each practice will also receive a copy of the Hot Topics General Practice Nurse Book.
We look forward to welcoming you for a great session of clinical learning.
See flyer for the suggested educational dates for 2025/2026.
Northern GP Federation Support Unit Update (NFSU)
To put a face to our names and for the relevant contact details, click here -
NFSU HR
Cathy Christie - HR Officer
🏃♀️ Federation Teams Take on the Belfast Marathon – Results Are In!
We are incredibly proud of our 20 Federation runners who took part in the 2025 Moy Park Belfast City Marathon on Sunday 4th May — our first time entering relay teams, and it's safe to say they smashed it (and enjoyed themselves in the process)!
💥 Only 7 seconds separated 3 of our 4 teams!
🥇 Congratulations to the winning team:
Mid Ulster GP Federation – Chip time: 3:41:12
(Raising funds for Charis Cancer Care)
Mid Ulster Federation – £1,737 raised for Charis Cancer Care
Niall O’Kane, Mark Donnelly, Mairead Quinn, Nichola Stewart & Anne-Marie Pickering
East Antrim Federation – £848 raised for Stroke Association
Clare Gallagher, Michael Ervine, Pawel Ciunajtis, Ciara Briers & Mark Briers
Causeway Federation – £2,022 raised for Dementia UK
Mary McBride, Karina Duffy, Jenny Chartres, Susie Weir & Donna Campbell
Antrim Ballymena Federation – £905 raised for NI Chest, Heart & Stroke
Joanne Caldwell, Emma Kelly, Heather Totten, Emma Hughes & Lucie Gage
NFSU Project Update
Naomi Hutchinson - Business Support Manager
💷 Economies of Scale – Cost Saving Information Live on Website!
We are delighted that some practices have started referring to our Economies of Scale information on the NFSU website, with several already moving to our recommended “suggested suppliers.”
Here’s what one practice recently had to say after becoming a customer of Restore Datashred for their shredding needs:
“I just wanted to update you on our shredding. We had Restore Datashred here this morning at 7.30 am as agreed and the shredding was completed at 11.00 am – absolutely first-class company to work with. I have taken 3 locked cabinets from them which I am arranging to have emptied (on-site) every 12 weeks. I really could not speak highly enough about every member — it was mainly two Richards I was dealing with, and nothing was a bother to them. We even added additional shredding in the room since it was seen by them, and I did let them know beforehand, but it was no trouble. Hopefully some other Health Centres may follow in our footsteps. Thank you also for being the ‘stepping stone’ in the project.”
We greatly value feedback from practices and encourage you to share your thoughts with us via email. 📩
We are currently evaluating various suppliers — including those for scrubs and heating oil — following multiple practice requests. Once a preferred supplier has been selected for each, we will update the website with the relevant details.
Please take a moment to explore the cost-saving information we have researched and summarised, now available on our website:
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!
📢 Update: Model Complaints Handling Procedure (MCHP) Roll-out in the Health Sector
***Please note we are hoping to organise a best practice face-to-face event for all Practice Managers regarding this in Sept / Oct. Keep an eye out for further information***
🔍 Key Info for GP Practices
The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) has launched a major initiative to improve complaints handling across the health sector through the Model Complaints Handling Procedure (MCHP) — officially published on 1 July 2025. This new procedure will replace the Department of Health’s HSC Complaints Procedure Directions and Guidance on 1 January 2026.
As part of the wider roll-out, NIPSO has been actively engaging with GP practices to support implementation and promote best practice. The MCHP is designed to streamline complaints processes, support early resolution, and ultimately improve patient experience.
Click here to read more
🆕 Recent Developments Include:
Updated guidance materials
New training resources
A renewed emphasis on early and effective resolution of concerns
It is essential that GP practices review and align their procedures with the new MCHP. Early resolution not only benefits patients but also significantly reduces time and resources spent on formal investigations.
📘 Key Document: MCHP for Health & Social Care
This comprehensive guide outlines:
✅ Mandatory requirements (clearly colour-coded)
⭐ Best practice guidance
Key Sections:
The Procedure – Step-by-step process for managing complaints
Organisational Guide – Responsibilities and actions for staff
Key Information for Service Users – Supporting patients and carers through the process
🔗 View the full document here: NIPSO MCHP Health & Social Care PDF
Summary of key differences between the new MCHP and the existing DoH Complaints Procedure Directions & Guidance:
📋 Next Steps for GP Practices:
🔄 Review your current complaints procedures
👥 Familiarise staff with MCHP requirements
🎓 Make use of NIPSO’s training and guidance resources
📅 Stay alert for updates or upcoming webinars
💡 Why This Matters
One of our member practices strongly reiterated the value of engaging with the MCHP early — noting that it is much easier to get it right at the start than to manage a complaint once it escalates.
Putting robust procedures in place now can:
✔ Prevent unnecessary stress and formal investigations
✔ Save staff time and resources
✔ Protect relationships with patients
Early resolution helps avoid the heartache and complexity that can come from letting concerns go unmanaged. A proactive approach pays off.
Medical Admin Academy – Pilot Review & September 2025 Launch
Further to our pilot Medical Admin Academy, which completed in May 2025, we are pleased to report the following:
We are delighted to confirm we have secured funding from LMP Mid & East Antrim Council to run another Medical Administration Academy, commencing on 9th September at the NFSU offices.
🗓️ Duration: 8 weeks
📍 Schedule: 2 days per week — Tuesdays and Thursdays
📌 Commitment: Participants must attend for the full duration of training
Most participants must reside in the Mid & East Antrim area (Boroughs of Ballymena, Larne, or Carrickfergus), however we are hopeful a small number of applicants from outside the area may be accepted pending council approval.
If you know anyone who may be interested, please share this [registration link] with them to sign up for the Information Session on Tuesday 19 August 2025.
🏥 For Mid & East Antrim Practices
We’d be grateful if you could print and display the attached poster in your practice and/or share it on your social media channels.
We anticipate this cohort will provide a strong pool of candidates who are well-placed to apply for medical admin roles towards the end of October. We therefore encourage practices to share any live job opportunities with us for circulation.
⚠️ Please Note:
While we would love to offer similar academies across all Northern Federations, this will unfortunately not be possible in the short term due to council budget commitments.
However, there is a possibility of a future academy in Antrim & Newtownabbey, and we are currently awaiting further information.
Opportunity to Join Our Practice Managers’ Working Group
Over the past few years, Practice Managers have played a vital role in the success of various projects across the NFSU.
In 2024, we launched a pilot Working Group, made up of representatives from across the Northern Federations. A working group is defined as “a group of people who collaborate to achieve a specific goal, task, or project.” Our aim is to foster meaningful collaboration that leads to the best possible outcomes for all our member practices.
🧠 What the Group Offers
The Working Group provides a space to:
Share ideas 💬
Exchange information 🔄
Offer feedback 🗣️
Despite the many challenges we face, the group continues to maintain a constructive and forward-thinking approach.
🗓️ Meeting Structure:
Frequency: Quarterly(Face-to-face meetings at NFSU offices, usually on a Tuesday over lunch)
Attendance: Members are expected to attend at least 3 out of 4 meetings per year
Agenda: Contributions are welcomed; the agenda is circulated 3 working days in advance
We currently have five Practice Managers involved. Participants initially committed to a one-year pilot, with ongoing involvement to be reviewed at the next meeting.
📌 Please note: this group is not intended to add to your workload — rather, it is designed to enhance the effectiveness of our collective efforts for the benefit of all member practices.
📬 Interested in Joining?
We are now looking to slightly expand participation, inviting additional Practice Managers from across the Northern Federations.
If you’re interested, please express your interest by emailing us at info@northernfsu.co.uk by the end of September 2025.
We’ll ensure balanced representation by managing the overall group size and Federation mix.
A sincere thank you to the Practice Managers who have already taken part.
We look forward to continuing to work with you all! 🌟
Practice Index HR Package - Free Access Until January 2026
Further to an email circulated as strictly private & confidential at the start of June, we’re pleased to remind you that all Northern Member Practices now have free access to the Practice Index HR Package until January 2026.
This gives practices the opportunity to explore everything included in the package — including the popular Holiday Manager tool. 🌴
🖥️ On 24 June, Practice Index hosted a webinar (facilitated by NFSU) to demonstrate the scope of the HR Package.
📺 If you were unable to attend, you can view the recording here.
Practices who already use the HR Package have spoken very highly of its functionality and ease of use, so we encourage you to try it out now while access is available at no cost!
🌟 Good News Stories
We know that our Federation staff and Practices carry out excellent work and quite often do not get the opportunity to share the “Good News Stories”.
NFSU would like to encourage each of you to share these with us as — we would encourage each of you to now use our standarised, easily accessed form to submit your stories to us.
👉 Please use the following link (through our website) to share your stories:
We would love to hear from all of you at some point throughout the year.
These stories will enable us to build up a bank of articles which can be used in:
Future Newsletters
Post-project evaluations
Highlight reports (a requirement from SPPG for funded projects)
Future business cases for funding
Promote the work we do via our social media channels
Accurx Scribe – New Product within Accurx
“Accurx Scribe is an AI-powered tool that helps clinicians in the healthcare sector with real-time transcription and summarisation of patient consultations. It aims to reduce administrative burden by automatically generating notes and letters from consultations, allowing clinicians to focus more on patient care. The tool is designed with NHS-grade security and complies with GDPR and ISO27001 standard.”
We recently held a webinar in relation to Accurx Scribe. If you missed this, you can view it here recording of the session .
Accurx have kindly offered a free trial in the near future – if you are interested in availing of this please complete expression of interest form.
📈 Quality Improvement Update – July 2025
We’re pleased to share that the Quality Improvement Facilitator Programme has been re-commissioned by NFSU for 2025. This free service is available to all General Practices and offers tailored advice and support for any stage of your Quality Improvement (QI) work.
🛠️ How Can a QI Facilitator Help?
Support is available for a wide range of QI activities, including:
Planning a QI project – identifying areas for improvement, setting aims, selecting measures, and understanding how to track and assess change
Guidance on QI tools – including process maps, driver diagrams, PDSA cycles, run charts, and more
Troubleshooting underperforming projects
Sharing project ideas and successes
Signposting to additional resources and learning opportunities
This support is open to all General Practice team members, whether clinical or administrative. Practices remain in full control of their project at all times. Support can be one-off or ongoing, and provided by phone, video call, or in-person.
👤 Meet Your Facilitator
Dr Frew Johnston, GP Partner at Seven Towers Surgery in Ballymena, leads the programme. Frew has extensive experience implementing QI projects and also mentors GP registrars completing QI work with NIMDTA.
📩 To enquire or get started, email:frew.johnston@northernfsu.co.uk
🧠 QI Corner: Frequently Asked Questions
Each edition of our newsletter will now include a Quality Improvement Corner with learning resources and practical advice. This month’s focus: FAQs.
❓ Q1: What is Quality Improvement in General Practice?
The RCGP defines QI as “a commitment to continuously improving the quality of healthcare by focusing on the preferences and needs of the people who use the services.” It’s an evidence-based approach that helps free up time, embed change, and deliver better outcomes.
More info: www.rcgp.org.uk/QI
❓ Q2: Isn’t this just what we’ve always done?
Yes – GPs and practice teams are natural improvers. What’s new is the structured QI approach: it builds on our instincts, focuses on improving systems (not just outcomes for specific cohorts), and embeds change to prevent issues reoccurring.
✅ QI works best when it involves the whole team – especially projects around practice systems like repeat prescribing or admin processes.
❓ Q3: What does quality care look like?
The Institute of Medicine identifies six core domains of quality care, summarised by the acronym S.T.E.E.E.P:
Safe – avoid harm
Timely – reduce delays
Effective – evidence-based care
Efficient – avoid waste
Equitable – fair and consistent care
Patient-centred – respectful and responsive to individual needs
Use these domains to help identify areas in your practice to improve.
❓ Q4: What are the stages of a QI project?
Check out this helpful overview from TURAS QI (NHS Scotland):
❓ Q5: Where can I learn more?
We highly recommend the TURAS QI site from NHS Scotland – no login required, and packed with simple, practical resources.
📣 Keep an eye on future newsletters for more learning resources, practical examples, and QI success stories from across our Federations.
🏥 Upcoming Study Day – Paediatric Ano-Genital Health
📅 Date: Friday, 19th September 2025
🕘 Time: 9.00am – 4.30pm
📍 Location: Lecture Theatre, Belfast City Hospital
🍽️ Lunch will be provided
You are warmly invited to attend a Paediatric Ano-Genital Study Day, designed for professionals involved in caring for children — including GPs, paediatricians, emergency medicine doctors, and gynaecologists.
Read more here
🧠 Topics will include:
Blood in the pants
Unexplained ano-genital injuries
Normal anatomy
Child sexual abuse
A full agenda will be circulated closer to the time.
📩 How to Register:
Please RSVP by 15th August 2025 to:
📧 karen.wilson@northerntrust.hscni.net
Include the following in your email:
Full name
Specialty and professional role
GMC number
Place of work
⚠️ Due to the sensitive nature of this study event, work ID must be brought on the day.
🚨Exciting Update 🚨
Recurrent Funding Secured for GP Fellowship Programme
We are delighted to share that we have received confirmation from SPPG that our GP Fellowship Programme will now benefit from recurrent funding. 🎉
This is a significant and much-welcomed development — particularly as we have faced ongoing challenges aligning the recruitment and selection of GP Fellows with the timelines and reporting requirements set by SPPG.
This funding will greatly support the continued promotion, development, and delivery of the programme, ensuring we can attract and retain high-quality applicants from a wide and talented pool.
We are currently progressing with internal planning and confirming programme details, and we look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
📢 Keep an eye on our website for the latest updates.
🎓 Free Level 7 CMI Courses
We’re pleased to share an excellent fully funded training opportunity through Queen’s University Belfast:
CMI Level 7 – Strategic Management & Leadership in Primary Care (Practice Managers)
This course is designed specifically for those working in primary care who are stepping into leadership roles or seeking to enhance their management skills.
🔗 Find out more and apply here / eligibility criteria:
CMI Level 7 - Stepping up to Leadership & Management in General Practice (GPs)
This module empowers leaders to explore and enhance their personal and professional growth. By reflecting on the synergy between skillset and mindset, leaders will develop strategic leadership capabilities and create impactful development plans.
🔗 Find out more and apply here / eligibility criteria:
Stepping Up to Leadership & Management – Course Info
🖥️ Some learning can be completed remotely, making it more accessible for busy professionals.
We encourage anyone interested to take a look and apply early.
GP Practice Job Advertising - NFSU Website
Did you know we have a section on our website where we can signpost potential applicants to any current live vacancies our member Practices have?
We would encourage all practices to let us know as and when you have live opportunities.
You can view our careers page for practices here:
Use the form below to promote jobs on our site:
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 - October 2025
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