NASGP

As a GP, you are at high risk of burnout, which the World Health Organisation defines as a syndrome from chronic, unmanaged workplace stress—it is not a personal failure. In this essential webinar, Dr Helen Garr, Medical Director at NHS Practitioner Health, shares practical, evidence-based tools to recognise the signs before you reach the 'burnout cliff' and find support within your practice and the wider sessional workforce community.

YouTube of webinar

https://youtu.be/Xg8aO2JjJLs

What you will learn

Why burnout is a system problem, not a character flaw in the sessional GP workforce.
How to use energy accounting (the 'spoon theory') to protect your capacity and maintain continuity.
The crucial steps to build psychological safety within your team by 'reaching in' to colleagues.
The common signs you are near the 'burnout cliff' and what 'bad medicine' coping strategies look like.
How to create a personal wellbeing plan (WRAP plan) and identify your vital support network (Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes crew).

Topic order

Burnout: It's a systemic issue, not a flaw (Boiling frog analogy).
The burnout cliff: recognising common signs and compassion fatigue.
The temperature continuum: checking in on your psychological well-being.
Developing a Wellbeing/Resilience Action Plan (WRAP plan).
Psychological safety and secondary stressors (the psychological backpack).
Building your support network (Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes crew).
Energy accounting: the 'spoon theory'.
NHS Practitioner Health: confidential mental health and addiction treatment.

Resources

NHS Practitioner Health: https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/
Dr Richard Duggins' book: Burnout Free Working https://uk.jkp.com/products/burnoutfree-working 
Wellbeing & Coping Website: wellbeingandcoping.net
Mind's Wellbeing at Work Plan: https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/my-mental-health-at-work/wellness-action-plans/ 
Balint Groups (for peer support): https://balintsociety.org.uk/balint-groups-and-balint-method

We speak to Dr Kevin Fernando about his deliberate and successful transition from a GP partnership to a thriving, multi-faceted portfolio career. Kevin explains how a desire for better work-life balance initially led him to general practice, and how his passion for medical education became the key to unlocking a global role with Medscape. He shares practical advice on how to start teaching, the importance of surrounding yourself with mentors, and how part-time sessional work provides the necessary foundation for flexibility. We also discuss his new private practice (focused on CVRM), the luxury of time it affords for holistic care, and his thoughts on the evolving role of AI as an invaluable tool for clinicians.

Luke Wheal, a specialist medical accountant from Azets, breaks down the monumental shift to making tax digital for income tax (MTD) and what it means for UK sessional GPs and any GP with qualifying rental income. He clarifies the confusion around staggered turnover thresholds (starting at £50,000 for April 2026) and stresses that while reporting is going quarterly, the existing self-assessment payment dates remain the same. This episode is a practical, demystifying guide to navigating the future of tax for the flexible sessional workforce and avoiding the common traps of the new digital record-keeping system.

View on YouTube (includes slides)

#MakingTaxDigital, #MTD, #GPlocum, #SessionalGP, #NHS

Dr Richard Fieldhouse sits down with GP, trainer, and author Dr Martin Brunet to explore the "art" of general practice. Martin shares his journey from hospital medicine to finding his "tribe" in GP, where he developed a passion for the mechanics of communication. We dive deep into his "Two Houses" consultation model—a practical way to navigate complex patient agendas—and discuss the clinical reality of burnout. Martin introduces the vital concept of "moral distress," explaining how system pressures force us away from our core values and, crucially, how "shared moral purpose" and creative self-care can help us stay resilient.

Resources:
“Your Worry Makes Sense: Anxiety and Burnout are Logical (and You Can Overcome Them) 
 “The GP Consultation Reimagined: a Tale of Two Houses” 
NASGP LocumDeck Professional Toolkit
Instagram 

Key Quotes:
"Surgeons operate, GPs communicate... we're all better as doctors and people if we communicate well".
"Moral distress is when you're being put in a position where you're asked to, or expected to, or have to operate outside your values".

Dr Richard Fieldhouse is joined by Dr Helen Garr, Medical Director of NHS Practitioner Health, for a candid conversation about the mental health of the workforce. They discuss the unique pressures faced by sessional GPs and partners alike, moving beyond the standard "resilience" talk to address the reality of compassion fatigue and the "superhero" complex. Helen shares personal stories of her own career—including a wake-up call while working under a palm tree on holiday—and offers practical advice on how to build connection and psychological safety in a fragmented system.

Resources
NHS Practitioner Health: https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/ 
NASGP LocumDeck: https://www.nasgp.org.uk/ 

Key Quotes
"We give, we give, we give, until we fall off that cliff and we crash. And often the point at which people recognise they need some help is when things have got really quite bad."
"There is no 'not unwell enough' to come to us. If you think things aren't quite right, please do reach out."