60 Seconds Interview: Gavin Jamie

Gavin Jamie is a GP in Swindon who also runs the QOF Database website (www.gpcontract.co.uk). Here, we take a look at how he relaxes away from his busy days treating his patients and monitoring QOF formulas

What’s the first thing you do when you get into the office?

General practice still seems to revolve around small bits of paper. With a hint of irony I peel them off my keyboard and see what needs to be done immediately.

Your favourite gadget at the moment?

GPS receiver. The open street map project is trying to map the world – www.openstreetmap.org. I plot routes by foot, bike and car and upload them. Fun to do in the local area.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Best and (worst thing) is the people. You meet everyone in this job. Lots of useful tips from holiday destination to keeping my cabbages slug free!

Favourite song?

Disco 2000 by Pulp. Did my finals revision to that!

Pet hate?

Spreadsheets. A wonderful thing in the 1980s they should have gone the way of Ghostbusters and big hair. Among the most horrible features are the wrapping simple tables in proprietary formats and the inseparable mixing of data and logic – but there is a lot more. The world is still waiting for a replacement though.

Favourite website?

www.doctors.net.uk – A great source of professional advice, silly jokes and education. By being in the right place at the right time it has also changed the face of medical politics in the UK. The GP contract would be different without it and the recent MMC protest would have been much lower profile.

What annoys you?

Pointless change. We don’t set up systems to be reused any more – it’s not worth the extra effort.

In a perfect world, what would you be doing?

Seeing and treating patients. Unfortunately much of the job is data collection and transfer. From writing blood forms and reading a pile of letters and results to polishing the QOF coding data simply does not flow through clinical processes on its own. It needs to be pushed. 

What’s caught your eye recently?

The Asus EEE could well be the start of a revolution in portable IT. Care at home is pretty much an e-health free zone in terms of access to record etc. As the surgery is largely paperless this is a daily problem. Something with a decent keyboard, tons of memory that I can put in my bag appeals.

e-Health innovation that interests you at the moment?

Payment by results data. There is a lot of it about and very little being done with it. Lots of growth here.

Read EHI Primary Care? We want to get to know you! If you work in NHS IT and would be happy to take part in a 60 second interview contact E-Health Inside Primary Care reporter Joe Fernandez on: joe@e-health-media.com Tel. 0208 8715266