Podcast – Sarah Coope – Managing Conflict in General Practice: A Practical Framework for Leaders
Release Date: 04/12/2026
Podcast - Katie Collin - Neighbourhood Provider Contracts: What Do They Mean for General Practice?
The General Practice Podcast
This week, Ben is joined by Katie Collin, Partner at Ramsay Brown, to discuss NHS England’s consultation on Single Neighbourhood Provider contracts and Multi-Neighbourhood Provider contracts. They explore what the proposed contracts could mean for GP practices, PCNs and federations, including the potential impact on funding, governance and locally commissioned services. Katie explains the different contract options, whether PCNs should consider incorporation, and the potential role of federations and collaboratives as MNPs. The discussion also looks at the opportunities and risks of shifting...
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Podcast - Bobby Pozzoni-Child - Building Primary Care Together: How Buckinghamshire Is Turning Integration into Action
The General Practice Podcast
Integrated neighbourhood working has been talked about for years, but what does it actually look like when it's put into practice? In this episode, Ben Gowland is joined by Bobby Pozzoni-Child, Director of Partnerships and Transformation for the Buckinghamshire Primary Care Provider Collaborative. Bobby explains how Buckinghamshire has evolved from a GP Provider Alliance into a truly integrated primary care collaborative, bringing together general practice, community pharmacy, dentistry and optometry to create a stronger collective voice and deliver better care. If you're interested in...
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Podcast – Practice Index – The New CQC Inspection Explained: What Every Practice Manager Needs to Know
The General Practice Podcast
In this week’s episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome back Robyn Clark and Ed Kennedy to discuss the new "return to good" inspections, how they differ from previous CQC visits, and why many practice managers feel these are now effectively practice manager inspections. Ed shares his first-hand experience of being among the first practices inspected under the new approach, while Robyn discusses the wider concerns being raised by practice managers across the country. Together they explore the benefits, challenges and practical steps practices can take to...
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Podcast – Sunaina Khanna & Imran Zaman – How Birmingham & Solihull Built a Unified Voice for General Practice
The General Practice Podcast
What does it take for general practice to lead system transformation rather than simply respond to it? In this episode, Ben Gowland is joined by Dr Sunaina Khanna and Dr Imran Zaman to discuss how they have built a unified leadership model that is helping shape neighbourhood health across one of England's largest Integrated Care Systems. Starting with a collaborative response to winter pressures, they explain how GP leaders came together to create the GP Partnership Board, giving general practice a stronger voice in system decision-making while developing services at scale. They share the...
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Podcast - Matt Jones - The Carr-Hill Formula: Why Some Practices Are Missing Out on Hundreds of Thousands of Pounds
The General Practice Podcast
The Carr-Hill formula sits at the heart of GP funding, yet few people fully understand how it works, or the impact it can have on individual practices. In this episode, Ben is joined by Dr Matt Jones, GP Partner in Cardiff, who has spent years investigating the formula after discovering significant funding differences between seemingly similar practices. Drawing on Freedom of Information requests, published papers, and detailed analysis, Matt explains why Carr-Hill remains such a controversial issue and why a long-awaited review could have major implications for general practice. Together they...
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Podcast – Robert McCartney – Single Neighbourhood Provider Contracts: What PCNs Need to Do Now
The General Practice Podcast
The proposed Single Neighbourhood Provider Contract could significantly reshape how services are commissioned and delivered at neighbourhood level, but with many details still to be confirmed, PCNs are being faced with important decisions now. In this episode, Ben Gowland is joined by Robert McCartney, Senior Associate at Hempsons, to discuss what we know so far about the SNP Contract, the growing focus on neighbourhood footprints, and how local PCN DES variations could provide opportunities for PCNs to begin implementing change without waiting for national guidance. They explore the practical...
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Podcast – Sian Stanley – Can General Practice Lead System Transformation?
The General Practice Podcast
In this episode of the General Practice Podcast, Ben is joined by Dr Sian Stanley, GP Partner, PCN Clinical Director and Health System Transformation Leader to explore how general practice can play a central role in reshaping urgent and community care. Sian shares the story behind a GP-led urgent treatment centre collaborative in West Essex, bringing together primary care, community services, the acute trust and wider system partners to redesign patient flow and reinvest savings back into local services. This is a fascinating discussion about practical system leadership, collaboration, and the...
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Podcast – Practice Index – The GP Contract & What It Means for Practices
The General Practice Podcast
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...
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Podcast – Sarah Coope – Managing Conflict in General Practice: A Practical Framework for Leaders
The General Practice Podcast
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...
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Podcast – Tara Humphrey – From Networks to Neighbourhoods
The General Practice Podcast
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 to...
info_outlineIn 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.