The Business of Healthcare Podcast with Tara Humphrey

Tara explores some often-overlooked elements required to run a successful project. Most project management specialists will follow a structured methodology, incorporating project scoping document, charter, controlled starts, version controls, quality assurance, implementation plans and communication and stakeholder plans. This is all perfectly logical and provides a consistent structure. However, if these elements aren't underpinned by time, understanding of the project and how much it costs, effective and frequent communications and trust, your project will fall short of what you're trying to achieve. This episode will help you avoid the common pitfalls. Sign up to the THC Primary Care newsletter

Dr Farzana Hussain is a GP partner at her own practice in Newham. She is also a primary care network Clinical Director. In this interview Tara and Farzana talk about the process of setting up the local primary care network, and the challenges and opportunities of working together in a networked way. Farzana shares her thoughts about the importance of involving patients in scoping the services that the new PCNs will provide. She also talks about her passion for education and excitement about the prospect of shaping primary care to become a really exciting career choice for new graduate doctors. Farzana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fhussain73 Sign up to the THC Primary Care newsletter

Gary Hughes is a practice manager at the Waterfield practice in Berkshire and provides consultancy services, supporting practice managers and partners to develop their general practices. Tara talks to Gary about how he balances the strategic and day-to-day operational aspects of his role. Gary also discusses the role of social media and brand for general practices, and the ways practices can harness digital channels to reach their audiences. Tara asks Gary how his practice is adapting to the introduction of primary care networks and the two discuss how practice managers can effectively work with GP partners. They round off their conversation with a chat about how practices can reach out to encourage the next generation to consider primary care as their career destination of choice. Gary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-hughes-b9070625/ Sign up to the THC Primary Care newsletter

Tara introduces her new podcast: The Business of Healthcare. The podcast will share interviews, insights, project management and leadership training and lessons learnt from leaders in the field of healthcare. Tara runs her own primary care project management consultancy. Since completing her MBA in Leadership and Management in Healthcare, she has published more than 150 blog articles and has been featured in the London Journal of Primary Care. Tara and her husband have three children. Her youngest has Type 1 Diabetes, her middle child has a kidney condition called Nephrotic Syndrome and her eldest has asthma. Along with juggling this, she and her husband ultramarathon runners. Tara loves sports and how she manages her health and wellbeing is a conscious part of her every day. Tara is a patient, a carer, a consumer and enabler in the delivery of healthcare. She hopes her new podcast will shine a light on what goes on behind the scenes focusing the business side of healthcare. Sign up to the THC Primary Care newsletter