09.00am
Persuade Des (Lover, Partner, Driver, Counsellor, Personal Assistant, Cook and Telephone Answering Service) to drive me to Bank to ‘pay in’ all incoming cheques. Would drive myself, but in plaster with fractured scaphoid after crashing spectacularly in the Arizona Desert on a Quad Bike! Pretty normal start to the day.

09.45am
Arrive at surgery.
Sneak in back door so no-one knows I am there so I can have brief meeting with Office Manager to discuss the aftermath of the staff meeting last night.
Ask a wandering Receptionist to make you a cup of coffee, she agrees.
It never appears.

10.00am
Intervene when I overhear the staff being instructed by the neighbouring Practice to remove discarded syringes from the floor of the male public toilet as ‘he’ is no-one’s patient and that’s what they have been told by the ‘Community’ Staff. “No way!”,  I say – get on the phone, ring Estates, lock the toilets, put ‘Out of Order’ on the doors and get the professional cleaners in to deal with the problem, which, technically, is not ours.
Staff are impressed - but still no coffee!

10.15am
Arrive in own office so everyone knows I’m in now – let battle begin!. Boot up computer, open up Internet, log onto e-mail site – Oh sugar – 35 e-mails!. ‘Where the hell’s that coffee?’ Sign my life away with all that’s been left by my hardworking, loyal little army – registrations, GPR’s, Citizen’s Advice, FP73’s, Enhanced Services, etc.,etc.
All income – more cheques to bank, must ask Des if he wants some petrol, will have to remind him to get a receipt for petty cash!

11.00am
Put kettle on myself,cannot wait any longer!.
Girls want to know who are doing house visits, 3 calls in, 4 GP’s working, all calls previously seen by 1 GP.

For God’s sake, share them geographically.

GP rings me to ask why they have the call furthest away, another GP rings to ask why they have the terminal, that will probably be an admission therefore harder than the others.
My reply was polite but firm and I am so grateful that I do not have a video phone so they can actually see what I am saying.
Cannot believe it!

Someone has used my water in the kettle – no hot left.

11.30am
Panic call from other surgery, 1 GP at hospital, 2nd GP driving to Edinburgh to renew passport, 3rd GP has ‘important’ appointment, 4th GP on holiday; Sessional GP finishes at 4.30pm – who is oncall/duty Doctor between 4.30pm and 6.00pm?

Not sure what they want me to do other than wrap a stethoscope around my neck. However, not the staff’s problem.
Inform staff to ensure everything is signed, all extras are seen before last GP leaves.
Go into battle with GP who is doing something ‘important’ to advise they must return or be in contact with surgery between 4.30pm and 6.00pm.

Agreed petulantly! Forget the coffee, need a drink!

12.00pm
Chauffeured to meeting at another practice by Office Manager (2nd Surgery – remember the arm) to discuss progress on DOH Pilot Project we are all working on.
Glad office manager with me, she has file, reports and makes me look intelligent.
Pharma Rep provided lunch so dehydration avoided by carton of orange juice.

Sod the coffee.
Avoided the sandwiches as all ‘Healthy Eating’ and Weight Watchers stuff.
Cannot handle that without caffeine.
Contribution to meeting – volunteered to scribe on flip chart, thought that would be easier than contemplating on successes,  failures or being strategic.
Ended up drawing a giant tree, bearing various fruits and shedding bark.
(To see final result, check WIPP Website, Workload Analysis in about 6 months time).

02.30pm
Back to surgery, oh goody.
Post has arrived, bank statements to reconcile, invoices to check, more information on merger of PCT’s and relocation of ifferent departments.
Do I care?, Not a jot! But not sure where to file it, perhaps secretaries office under “General Information”.
Letter from BMA re: financial planning – copy to GP’s. Letter from PULSE re: where to send GP’s copies, home or surgery – why do they send all this crap to me?
Copy to GP’s.
Answer, respond, delete as many e-mails as possible in between constant interruptions from phone calls, staff queries, PCT ringing re: Access, Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions, GP2GP and woe is me, Choose and Book.

03.30pm
Meet with patient as arranged to discuss outcome of Insurance report and explain implications of Data Protection and Freedom of  Information Acts.
I get all the good jobs.
Still no coffee – should I give up?

04.00pm
Look through ‘In Tray’ to see if anything has become Urgent – Pension Annual Statement needs signing and sending – Dne!
Shred anything that is not important or will become urgent eventually.
Filled shredder, feels very therapeutic.
Day is getting better.

04.45pm
Pharmacist insists on seeing me to discuss patient with HBA1c of 12.5, taken by consultant, under care of consultant, discharged with no medication and no care plan.
The joys of PBC and PBR.
Sorted.

05.00pm
Staff want money from me for leaving present for retiring HCA/Receptionist and choose menu for leaving do.
Will only do it if they make me a cup of coffee.
Yippee!

05.10pm
Practice Nurse suggests I have a massage as she has her oils with her and treatment room empty.
To hell with the e-mails, take the mobile with me.
Oh, how I love this place.

06.00pm
Massage finished, staff gone home, GP’s have left the building, no patients left, best time of the day.
Drink cold cup of coffee – then pay bills, finish e-mails, complete Practice Notes, update policies, sort out Maternity Pay, apply for Maternity Locum, read PBC reports, write article, check Contracts and anything else on desk.
Answer phone – do I want picking up? Think so, cleaners are chucking me out – oh goody Des is there (remember the arm).
Another day over.

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Val Hempsey winner of the 2006 Practice Manager of the Year Awards

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