Coffee breaks

In general practice, the coffee break may be the only daily contact you have with your professional colleagues. You may be tempted to talk shop, catch up on gossip or ignore them and get on with your paperwork. But what is the most productive? Here's how to make the most of coffee breaks.

• Set a time that allows everyone to finish their surgeries, including extras. Agree on whether you will meet before or after you've done your paperwork and phone calls.

• Choose a venue away from patients, and agree whether other staff are welcome. Snacks or sandwiches should be available as well as beverages as this may constitute a lunch break for many. Designate a partner or staff member as responsible for arranging these and the kitty.

• When arranging team coffee breaks, respect the need for some people to relax in their own way.

• This is rest time—don't bring a mound of paperwork with you.

• Consider whether you need to agree a ban on shop talk (for example, new contract updates). You might want to limit it to one day a week or a few minutes every day. Avoid issues that need discussion in depth—deal with these at the next practice meeting.

• If you encourage drug company representatives to attend, bear in mind that they will impinge on discussion and may even prevent some people attending. Consider issuing guidelines for them (whether to bring sandwiches, whether managers are welcome, and so on). Consider having “representative-free” days.

• Try to protect coffee breaks—encourage receptionists to keep queries until after the break and consider designating the duty doctor to call before and after to facilitate this.

• Make the time work for you. Keep a short note of topics discussed and include this in your appraisal—many critical incidents are presented, discussed, and resolved over coffee.

• Most of all, this time should be stress relieving and a positive experience—a time to share our worries and help us through the day.