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.

In this week's episode, brought to you in partnership with Practice Index, we welcome back to the podcast Peter Maynard, Executive Partner at Horfield Health Centre and Ceri Chaplin, Managing Partner at Hereford Medical Group. Following the publication of the 2026/27 GP contract, they discuss the headline changes and what they could mean for general practice. While the announcement highlights new investment, the reality for practices may be more complex, with funding pressures, operational changes and unanswered questions about how the proposals will work in practice.

The conversation explores the implications for practice finances, workforce recruitment, PCNs, advice and guidance, performance management and quality frameworks, alongside the practical challenges managers face when implementing national policy locally.

As always, the details still need to emerge, but this episode provides an early perspective on the potential risks, opportunities and uncertainties facing general practice over the next year.

Introduction (00:49)

Initial reactions to the GP Contract (01:17)

Funding and the headline investment (03:10)

Capacity and Access funding changes (06:39)

Changes to ARRS funding (09:44)

The future of PCNs and neighbourhood working (11:12)

Advice and Guidance becoming core work (13:44)

Increased expectations and performance management (17:58)

QOF changes and obesity management (21:10)

Childhood immunisation targets (22:57)

What happens next? (24:31)

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 Freddie Charrington, GP Partner at Phoenix Health Group in Tetbury, to discuss the growing financial challenges facing dispensing practices, and how the practice transformed its dispensary from near break-even to sustainable profitability. Freddie shares how he unexpectedly became dispensary lead soon after becoming a partner and was tasked with determining whether the service should continue at all. Working alongside his dispensary team, family members and a data scientist, Freddie developed 'Dispensary Market', a tool that compares drug prices across multiple wholesalers, helping practices make smarter purchasing decisions. Freddie also explains how the tool has expanded beyond his own practice, remaining free for GP practices while helping improve both profitability and medication availability across dispensing sites.

Introduction (0:08)

Freddie's background and becoming dispensary lead (0:20)

Why dispensing practices are under financial pressure (1:21)

Rural challenges and workforce pressures (2:27)

Discovering the true dispensary finances (3:07)

Identifying purchasing inefficiencies and drug margins (4:01)

From spreadsheets to building a solution (4:45)

Developing Dispensary Market (5:27)

Expanding wholesalers and improving margins (6:30)

Implementing change with the dispensary team (7:21)

How the platform works in practice (8:24)

Why drug prices change constantly (9:24)

Real-time pricing and system design (10:10)

Early results and product evolution (10:44)

Lessons in change management and user adoption (11:44)

Rolling out to other practices (13:23)

Keeping the platform free for GP practices (14:43)

What is 'Dispensary Market' and how to access it (15:08)

Uptake and current usage (16:11)

Balancing GP work and running the platform (16:21)

Supply chain benefits and stock availability (17:06)

Closing reflections (18:10)

Check out the 'Dispensary Market' website here.

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