The second Notts Primary Care Conference, which focused on the theme of building resilience through positive connections, was held on 12 March in Nottingham at the DoubleTree by Hilton.
As with the 2023 conference, the event was free to attend for Primary Care colleagues working in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Building resilience through positive connections
Always love Dr Helen Garr's presentations, I could do with seeing her monthly to motivate me!
Following registration and introductions, the programme got off to an energising start with a motivating session led by Dr. Helen Garr, inviting everyone in the room to get out of their chair and ask themselves how they can 'relight their fire' and identify what motivates them to do what they do, and help them become the best version of themselves.
Following Helen's session, Laurence Quirk (Programme Manager, Nottinghamshire Alliance Training Hub) and Dr. Gemma Wilkinson (Medical Director, Pheonix Programme) provided updates, highlighting ongoing initiatives and plans for Primary Care across the region.
Attendees then had the option to participate in one of three workshops. The first workshop, led by Lauran Lang, focused on motivational interviewing, an evidence-based approach to facilitating behaviour change. The session provided foundational knowledge and skills that participants could apply in their practice.
The second workshop, conducted by Ankish Patel, addressed the successful integration of new team members. Ankish emphasized the importance of communication, relationship-building, and role clarification in creating cohesive and effective teams.
The third workshop, facilitated by Dr. Clare Veltman, invited attendees to 'put their thinking caps on' about their own wellbeing. This session encouraged participants to explore established change tools and how they could be used to build resilience and prioritise their own health.
How did attendees describe the conference?
The morning concluded with a session on innovations to improve the Primary-Secondary Care interface, presented by Dr. Husein Mawji and Dr. Thea De Beer, looking at how improved communication between Primary and Secondary Care can enhance patient outcomes.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Conference
Recognising that some attendees may be observing Ramadan or just need a quiet space away from the noise of the conference, our event set-up included a dedicated prayer/quiet room for anyone who required it, and it was wonderful to see it utilised by our delegates.
Celebrating innovation
After lunch, the results from our poster competition highlighted local projects that showcase new ways of working and wellbeing initiatives to celebrate this year’s conference objectives.
Highly commended runners-up from Mansfield Integrated Care Team and Winner Anna Davis from Saxon Cross Surgery were present to receive their awards.
WINNER
Anna Davis
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Zoe Stockham, Claire O'Mara & Emily Manion
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Elisabetta Russo
The focus on innovation continued to the next section of the day's programme as delegates were invited to join table discussions on projects including GPN Educator, E-portfolios, Critical Companionship, Non-Clinical fellowships, Widening Participation and Hybrid Placements.
I really liked the round the world session with speakers. Brilliant and engaging way to learn many new things in a short time.
Attendees again then had the option of taking part in one of three workshops, all designed to facilitate better resilience and wellbeing in Primary Care teams. These were: 'Technology Enhancing Your Practice' by Dr. Gandhi Hussain, 'Supporting Menopause in the Workplace' by Dr, Lorna Filby and 'Managing the Angry/Frustrated Patient' by Dr. Gemma Wilkinson.
An opportunity to show appreciation
Another highlight of the day was the 'Messages of Appreciation' area, where anybody could leave a message for colleagues to be passed on or given in person, with the option of leaving a message privately or anonymously.
The day's programme was brought to a close with an engaging panel Q and A session, with ARRS Ambassador and First Contact Practitioner, Desi Gillespie joining some of the previous speakers to field questions from the audience.
Throughout the day, the atmosphere was one of collaboration, learning, and celebration and we hope that the conference provided a useful opportunity for colleagues to come together to share knowledge and experiences and strengthen their networks, ultimately fulfilling the conference's aim to champion the themes of resilience, motivation and connections.
It felt a very positive event, very well organised. Nice to interact with people from various professional backgrounds across Notts. I liked the round the world event.
When will our next conference take place?
Our next conference will be the General Practice Nurse Educational Conference, taking place on 10 July, 2025. The event, aimed at all nursing team colleagues, will focus on promoting best practice related to Long-term condition management and frailty, as well as providing an opportunity for networking, and celebrating the innovations happening within General Practice.
Thank you!
Thanks to everyone who attended or presented at the conference, helping to make it such a positive day.
And, thanks to everyone who gave us their feedback about the conference. Your thoughts, input and comments are important and help us to shape and improve our future conferences!
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