In this week's episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome back podcast regulars Claire Houston & Robyn Clark to unpack the realities of the 2026/27 GP contract and what it means for general practice. Claire & Robyn share practical insights into how practices are managing rising expenses, the limitations of current funding allocations, and the increasing challenge of balancing demand with limited resources. They also reflect on wider system issues, including the sustainability of general practice, the risks of shifting workload without adequate funding, and the growing tension between policy expectations and operational reality.

Introduction & Sponsor (0:09)

Immediate Impact of Contract Changes (2:00)

Capacity & Access Funding Changes (9:30)

Barriers to Recruitment & Delivery (10:30)

Advice & Guidance Changes (17:16)

Referral Management & System Pressures (19:09)

QOF & Childhood Immunisations Update (24:23)

Support Available via Practice Index (26:42)

To visit the Practice Index website, click here or contact James Dillon here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

In this week's episode, Ben is joined by Dr Sarah Coope, former GP, mediator and CEO of Wild Monday, to explore one of the most challenging aspects of working in general practice - conflict. Sarah shares why conflict is both inevitable and, when handled well, a positive force within teams, particularly in high-pressure environments like general practice and PCNs. The conversation explores why unresolved conflict is so common, how workload and system complexity contribute, and why avoiding difficult conversations can often make things worse. The episode also highlights the emotional toll of conflict, the importance of psychological and emotional safety, and why one-to-one conversations are often more effective than large group discussions. Finally, Sarah discusses the support available for leaders, including coaching, peer networks and structured development programmes.

Introduction (0:07)

Why conflict is common in general practice (1:15)

The impact of pressure, workload and system complexity (2:27)

Avoiding conflict and why it can be harmful (4:02)

The emotional toll of conflict (5:14)

Handling personal conflict and strong emotions (8:50)

Expressing how situations feel (11:00)

One-to-one vs group conversations (12:36)

Structuring the conversation: HiFIVE model (13:50)

Challenging assumptions and narratives (15:05)

The final part.. (20:06)

Summarising the HIGH5 framework (22:43)

Supporting leaders with conflict (23:03)

Visit the Wild Monday website here.

Access the HiFive model here.

The Shapes Academy Toolkit can be found here.

Access the How To Lead Without Rescuing webinar here.

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.

Ben recently joined Tara Humphrey from THC Primary Care on The Business of Healthcare Podcast, to explore what lies ahead for primary care, the importance of strong relationships in leadership, and what recent GP contract developments mean for Primary Care Networks and neighbourhood-focused approaches. Interested in hearing more from Ben and Tara? Join them at PCN Plus LIVE 2026 on Wednesday 22nd April 2026, where they'll be focusing on how deeper collaboration, locally driven innovation, and bold thinking can shape the future of healthcare delivery. Visit the website here to learn more or secure your place.

Introduction (00:55)

"Make it easy to work with you" (05:28)

Being intentional vs organic in networking (07:56)

Writing emails that get responses (09:56)

The GP Contract: first reactions (11:41)

Are PCNs at risk? (19:10)

Moving from discussion to action (24:19)

PCN Plus Live 2026 (25:19)

For all enquiries about the Ockham podcast, please contact Ben Gowland here.