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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS THE GENERAL PRACTICE ASSISTANT
Welcome to the General Practice Assistant. This is a
computerised accounting package for general practitioners based
on the Red Book. This program has many uses and we are sure that
you will find it very useful.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN USES OF THE PROGRAM
The General Practice Assistant has many possible uses but the
main ones are listed below.
1. It will help to simplify and take out a lot of the drudgery
involved in compiling the accounts of a practice. In addition,
by doing more of the work yourself your accountant will have to
do less when he draws up your accounts, hopefully resulting in a
smaller bill!
2. It will give an indication of your cash flow at any
particular point in time. As a result of this it will be easy to
see exactly how much you are earning from any one source. Your
own practice income and expenditure profile can easily be
compared with that of other practices in order to identify your
strengths and weaknesses.
3. Because of the program's ability to perform "what-if"
calculations the effect of changes in practice profile (such as
the number of partners) or in income and expenditure can be
easily seen. This makes the program a powerful teaching aid to
the red book.
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM
The program is likely to be of use to general practitioners,
trainers, trainees, course organisers, and accountants who have
general practitioner clients.
WHAT COMPUTERS WILL IT RUN ON
The General Practice Assistant will run on IBM PCs and 100%
compatibles with 512K memory.
HOW EASY IS THE PROGRAM TO USE
Because the program makes extensive use of pop-up windows and
menus it is very easy to use. It does not require you to
memorise esoteric key strokes and as a result is likely to have a
very short learning time. All that is required to run the
package is a basic understanding of MS-DOS.
CHAPTER 2
THE ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEET
WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF THE PROGRAM
At the heart of the General Practice Assistant (referred to from
here onwards as GPA) is an electronic spreadsheet. This can be
thought of as an electronic replacement for the accountant's
columnar pad; the GPA program configures the computer's memory to
resemble an accountant's columnar pad.
HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM A PAPER PAD
This "electronic pad" differs in some ways from a paper pad:
1. The GPA spreadsheet has 51 columns and up to 150 rows.
Consequently, it is much larger than its paper counterpart.
2. Because the spreadsheet is so large only a small portion can
be visualised at any one time. The computer screen serves as a
window through which you can see only a small proportion of the
spreadsheet. Any part of the spreadsheet can be visualised by
scrolling the window over it using the cursor control keys.
3. Once you have set up your spreadsheet, figures can be entered
and altered at will. The effects of these changes can be seen
much more quickly than if you used a pencil, paper and
calculator.
DO I HAVE TO DESIGN MY OWN SPREADSHEET
As the program comes with several predefined spreadsheets you do
not have to design your own. When you first run the program,
load the file called TEMPLATE.GPA into the GPA program. This is
what is known as a template file. This is a preconfigured
spreadsheet into which you can enter data directly. This allows
you to use the program immediately. Once you are more familiar
with the program you can modify this to your own requirements or
design a totally new template file.
HOW DO I DESIGN MY OWN SPREADSHEET
You can design your own spreadsheet using the Set-Up option or
use or modify one of the example spreadsheets provided on the
program disk. These example spreadsheets, TEMPLATE.GPA,
TEMP1.GPA and TEMP2.GPA will give you some indication of what can
be achieved with the program. However, when you first use the
program it is probably best to stick to the example spreadsheets
provided. Customising or setting up your own spreadsheet is best
left until you are more familiar with the program.
HOW DO I ENTER MY FIGURES INTO THE PROGRAM
By entering the Edit mode of the program data can be entered into
the spreadsheet and calculations performed. The data in the
spreadsheet can be saved, loaded, printed etc. using the other
commands available in the program.
CHAPTER 3
COPYING AND INSTALLING
Floppy disks are delicate objects and as a result must be handled
with care. Be careful not to touch, bend or scratch them and
keep them out of extremes of heat and cold. It is essential that
you make up a working copy of your master disk as soon as
possible. The GPA disk is not copy protected and you may,
therefore, make a working copy of the program disk or install the
program on your hard disk.
The GPA install program, GPAINS.EXE will automate the copying
process and install GPA for your hardware configuration. If you
wish to use GPA from floppy disk, a freshly formatted disk will
be required. Follow the instructions in your MS-DOS guide on
formatting floppy disks.
To install the program place the GPA disk in drive A. Make drive
A your default drive by entering the following:
A: [ENTER]
In the above command (as in the rest of this manual) any letters
inside the square brackets [] refer to the key on the keyboard
with those letters on them. In this case they refer to the Enter
key on your keyboard.
Now run the installation program by entering:
GPAINS [ENTER]
The following statements will appear in turn:
1. Source drive (A/B) ?
Enter the drive in which the GPA disk is placed (which in this
case will be A).
2. Destination drive (A/B/C) ?
Now enter the drive on which the working copy is to be made.
Hard disk drives are usually designated as drive C.
3. Colour or mono display (C/M).
Press C if you have a colour display or M if you have a
monochrome display.
4. Place the GPA disk in drive A.
Press any key when ready.
The GPAINS program will ask you to place the GPA program disk in
drive A - you should already have done this! Press a key and the
files on the GPA master disk will be loaded into the computer's
memory.
If you have designated drive C as the destination drive then the
GPAINS program will make a directory with the title GPA on your
hard disk drive and install the program files onto it.
If you have designated drive A or B as the destination drive you
will be asked to place a formatted disk in the appropriate drive
and to press a key. A copy of the GPA program will then be
automatically made on the new disk.
CHAPTER 4
SOME ESSENTIAL TERMS
THE CURSOR
The cursor is a flashing underscore or bar that indicates your
current position within the program. The cursor can be moved
around using the cursor (arrow) or certain other keys.
WINDOWS AND MENUS
In a computer program a menu is a list of possible commands. All
the commands available at that point are displayed in an area of
the screen known as a window. By selecting a command from a
window either a function will be carried out or another window
will be displayed (this window will contain another menu, the
submenu). At any one time several windows may be displayed but a
command may only be selected from one window, the active window.
This window can be recognised by the fact that it is displayed
within a double frame (non active windows are displayed within a
single frame) and that the first letter of each command within
the active menu will be highlighted.
HOW DO I SELECT A COMMAND
To select a command from a menu either move the cursor over the
command you wish to execute and press [ENTER] or simply press the
first letter of the command. The command will then be carried
out or a submenu will be displayed. The [HOME] key moves the
cursor to the first command in the menu and the [END] key moves
the cursor to the last command in the menu. Pressing [ESC]
closes the current menu and returns you to the previous menu.
THE DATA INPUT WINDOW
The data input window is a special window that appears at various
points in the program, whenever data needs to be entered by you.
Very often there will already be some text in it. This will be
cleared if an alphanumeric key is pressed when this window first
appears. The required data can then be entered into the window.
If a non-alphanumeric key is pressed (e.g. a cursor key) then
text in the window may be edited.
THE HELPLINE
On the bottom line of the screen a single line, the helpline, is
displayed. This provides a reminder of some commands, the
current insert/overwrite status and also displays the time. The
commands are:
ESC - as explained earlier pressing the ESC key closes the
current window and returns you to the previous window.
ALT X - press the ALT and X keys simultaneously if you wish to
quit the program. If you have made modifications to the current
template file you will be asked to confirm that you wish to exit
the program.
The insert/overwrite status may be toggled by pressing the [INS]
key and affects the way in which text is edited within a data
input window.
CURSOR COMMANDS
There are various cursor commands available to allow you to move
the cursor within a window.
Right arrow - moves the cursor one position to the right.
Left arrow - moves the cursor one position to the left.
Up arrow - moves the cursor one position up.
Down arrow - moves the cursor one position down.
[HOME] - moves the cursor as far to the left as possible. In
Edit mode the cursor is moved to the extreme left of the
spreadsheet.
[END] - moves the cursor as far to the right as possible. In
Edit mode the cursor is moved to the extreme right of the
spreadsheet.
[CTRL] [HOME] - moves the cursor to the top of the window.
[CTRL] [END] - moves the cursor to the bottom of the window.
[PAGE UP] - moves the window up one screen.
[PAGE DOWN] - moves the window down one screen.
[CTRL] [PAGE UP] - moves the cursor as far up as possible. In
Edit mode the cursor is moved to the top of the spreadsheet.
[CTRL] [PAGE DOWN] - moves the cursor to downmost position
possible. In Edit mode the cursor is moved to the bottom of the
spreadsheet.
[CTRL] Left arrow - in edit mode the cursor is moved one month to
the left.
[CTRL] Right arrow - in edit mode the cursor is moved one month
to the right.
EDITING COMMANDS
These commands are present to allow you to edit your entries in
conjunction with the cursor movement commands.
[INS] - toggles between insert and overwrite modes.
[DEL] - deletes the character under the current cursor position.
[BACKSPACE] - deletes the character to the left of the current
cursor position.
CHAPTER 5
RUNNING THE GPA PROGRAM
HOW DO I RUN THE PROGRAM ON A FLOPPY DISK DRIVE MACHINE
On a floppy disk drive system insert the program disk into drive
A and type:
A:GPA [ENTER]
HOW DO I RUN THE PROGRAM ON A HARD DISK MACHINE
On a hard disk machine (after you have installed the program onto
your hard disk) type:
CD \GPA [ENTER]
followed by
GPA [ENTER]
In both the above cases, after a short pause (shorter in the case
of a hard disk drive machine than a floppy disk drive machine),
the program will load and you will be faced with the main menu.
The main menu is the active window and is therefore enclosed in a
double lined frame.
CHAPTER 6
THE MAIN MENU
HOW DO I PROCEED FURTHER
To proceed further with the program an option must be selected
from the main menu. The options available are:
File menu
Edit mode
Graph menu
Print menu
Options menu
Setup menu
HOW DO I SELECT AN OPTION
To select an option either type the first letter of the option
required or move the cursor over the required option and press
[ENTER].
CHAPTER 7
THE FILE MENU
WHAT FUNCTIONS DOES THE FILE MENU PERFORM
This is the option that you select if you wish to load or save
files. It also has other functions - it is possible to list the
files in a directory, change the default directory or return to
MS-DOS. If this option is selected then a submenu will be
displayed.
WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FILE MENU
The options are :
Load file
Save file
Files dir
Change dir
Dos shell
Quit
LOAD FILE
This is the option to select if you wish to load a previously
saved file into the program in order to make any alterations to
it or to print it. After selecting this command you will be
faced with the data input window in which you can enter the name
of the file you wish to load. When this window first appears
*.GPA will be displayed within it. Pressing [ENTER] at this
point will result in all the template files (which have the file
extension .GPA) appearing. Use the cursor control keys to move
the cursor over the file to be loaded and then press [ENTER]
again in order to load this file into the program.
On any subsequent occasion that you use this command, the last
file to be loaded into the program will be displayed within the
window. Pressing [ENTER] a second time will result in this file
being loaded into the program. If however you should wish to
load in a different file then press the spacebar or type the name
of that file. On the first keystroke the window will be cleared
allowing you to type in the name of the file to be loaded.
HOW DO I LOAD IN A NEW DATA FILE
This is straightforward. For example, to load the TEMP1.GPA file
into the program.
1. Select the load file option. If you have previously loaded
in a file, its name will be displayed in the data input window.
Otherwise *.GPA will be displayed.
2a. If the file name displayed is TEMP1.GPA then simply press
[ENTER].
or
2b. If *.GPA is displayed then press [ENTER]. A list of all the
GPA spreadsheet files will be displayed. Simply move the cursor
over TEMP1.GPA and press [ENTER]. Pressing the spacebar in this
file selection mode will display a more detailed description of
each file.
or
2c. Type TEMP1.GPA and press [ENTER]. The previous file name
will be removed as soon as you start to type the new file name.
3. The TEMP1.GPA file will be loaded and can be edited by
selecting the edit mode option
SAVE FILE
This is the option to select if you wish to save a data file. In
use it is similar to the load file command except that it saves
the file in memory to disk rather than loading a file from disk
into memory. Moving the cursor over the save file command and
then pressing [ENTER] will result in the name of the file
currently in memory being displayed. Press [ENTER] again if you
wish to save this file under the current file name. If however
you wish to save the file under a different file name then simply
type in the file name you wish to save it under. Pressing
[ENTER] will result in the file being saved under this name.
HOW DO I SAVE MY DATA
This is straightforward. For example, to save the TEMP1.GPA file
you have just loaded under the name MYFILE.GPA:
1. Select the save file option.
2. Press [ENTER] and TEMP1.GPA will be displayed in the data
input window (pressing [ENTER] at this point would result in the
file being saved with the same file name).
3. Type MYFILE.GPA and then press [ENTER]. As soon as you start
to type the new file name, TEMP1.GPA will be removed from the
display.
The file TEMP1.GPA will be saved under the file name MYFILE.GPA.
The TEMP1.GPA file remains on the disk and can be loaded in again
if required.
WHAT IF THE SELECTED FILE NAME IN NOT ALLOWED BY MS-DOS
If the file name you have selected is not allowed by MS-DOS then
an error message will be displayed and you will have to select a
different file name.
FILES DIR
This command is similar in operation to the load and save file
commands except that it lists files in a directory rather than
actually loading and saving files. Select this command and the
current directory path will be displayed. Press [ENTER] and a
list of all the files in that directory will be displayed.
Pressing the spacebar at this point results in an extended
directory being displayed. [ESC] will return you to the files
menu.
CHANGE DIR
Select this command if you wish to change the current directory.
If selected, the current directory will be displayed. If you
wish to change the current directory type in the new directory
path and press [ENTER]. Alternatively, press the space bar to
clear the data input window and press [ENTER]. The contents of
the current directory will be displayed. You may now change the
current directory by either moving the cursor over \.. and
pressing [ENTER] to move up the directory tree or over \dirname
and pressing [ENTER] to move into a sub-directory. These actions
may be repeated until you reach your required directory. Press
[ESC] to return to the files menu.
DOS SHELL
This command temporarily returns you to MS-DOS. Type EXIT and
press [ENTER] if you wish to return to the GPA program.
While you are in the DOS shell you can execute DOS commands.
QUIT
This command allows you to leave the GPA program permanently. If
you have a modified but unsaved file in memory, you will be asked
to confirm that you wish to quit the program. If you wish to use
the GPA program again you will have to reload it from the program
disk.
CHAPTER 8
EDIT MODE
WHAT IS THE EDIT MODE
By selecting the edit mode you are entering the heart of the
program. This section is a modified form of the spreadsheet type
program - you may have come across other spreadsheet programs
previously. This is the section in which data is entered and
manipulated and in which calculations are carried out.
WHAT WILL I SEE WHEN I FIRST ENTER THE EDIT MODE
Assuming that you have loaded in a template file, when you first
enter this section you will see are the months of the year across
the top of the edit window with subsections (quantity, rate and
total) for each month. Down the left hand side of the screen you
will see listed the various items of income and expenditure. At
any one time you will see only a small part of the spreadsheet;
the rest of it can be viewed by using the various cursor control
keys. What you will see will look something like below.
JANUARY
Quantity Rate Total
PRACTICE INCOME
Allowances
Basic Practice 0.00 0.00 0.00
Designated Area 0.00 0.00 0.00
Group Practice 0.00 0.00 0.00
Seniority: First 0.00 0.00 0.00
Seniority: Second 0.00 0.00 0.00
Seniority: Third 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vocational Training 0.00 0.00 0.00
The quantity and total figures are initially set to zero, but
many of the rates are already included in the template file; any
required entries can be made using the instructions later in the
manual.
All the above rows are what are known as auto rows. Figures are
entered in the appropriate quantity and rate columns and the
total is then calculated automatically from the two figures. It
is not possible to enter figures directly into the total column.
The other type of row calculation is manual. Manual rows appear
like the ones shown below.
Quantity Rate Total
Rent 7500.00
Rates 150.00
Telephone 125.00
In this sort of row the required figure is entered directly into
the total column. Any row can be set to auto or manual using the
setup menu described later.
Do not forget to save the data at regular intervals. This will
ensure that any data loss as a result of your computer crashing
or its power supply being disturbed is kept to a minimum.
The template file is in two main sections. Firstly all the
income rows are listed; beneath this section is the total income
figure. In the next section are all the expense rows; beneath
this section is the total expenses figure. At the very bottom is
the net practice income figure.
If you move across the spreadsheet you will see the months of the
year with subsections for quantity, rate and total. At the end
of the monthly figures, quarterly and annual totals are displayed
similarly divided into quantity, rate and total. The quarterly
and annual figures are calculated directly from the monthly
figures. It is not possible to enter figures into them directly.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO BEFORE I CAN ENTER ANY DATA
In order to prepare the program to accept data you must first set
up the spreadsheet. There are two ways of doing this:
1. Load an existing template file such as TEMPLATE.GPA into the
program and enter data directly into this. Save this file under
a meaningful name such as 1989.GPA in order to preserve the
original TEMPLATE.GPA file for later use.
2. Use the setup option in the main menu and design a new
template file. Do not forget to save this file once you have
designed it as this will allow you to use it again on further
occasions.
HOW DO I ENTER THE DATA
Once you have setup or loaded a template file you are ready to
begin entering data. You will see that across the top of the
edit window the months of the year are listed and that each month
is subdivided into quantity, rate and total. At the end of the
monthly figures, quarterly figures are available and following
these annual figures are available.
To enter data use the cursor control keys to move to the place
where you wish to enter a figure. There are two methods in which
data may be entered:
1. If you wish to enter an all new figure into the current
position simply type in the new amount and press [ENTER]. The
data input window will appear as soon as you start to type in the
new figure.
2. If you wish to modify the data in the current position, press
[ENTER] and the data input window will appear. The data in the
current cell will be displayed in the data input window. You may
now enter a new value or use the cursor and editing keys to
modify the existing value. Once you have entered the correct
figure press [ENTER] and this figure will be entered into the
current position.
Use the cursor keys to move to the next point where you wish to
enter the data and repeat the process. Carry on doing this until
all the data has been entered. When you have completed the
current session, do not forget to save the file before exiting
the program.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO PERFORM CALCULATIONS
It is possible to perform calculations in this section of the
program. Use the data input window and the +, -, *, /, (, )
symbols. The symbols are used as follows:
( ) to alter the order in which calculations are performed
* for multiplication (highest priority)
/ for division
+ for addition
- for subtraction (lowest priority)
First priority in a calculation is given to multiplication and
division and then to addition and subtraction.
For example, if 125.00 is in the current position and you wish to
add 1500 divided 4 to it and store the result in the same
position, the following actions will have to be performed:
1. Press [ENTER] to fetch the 125.00 from the current position
and display it in the data input window.
2. Press [END] to move past the 125.00 (as a cursor command has
been entered, the data will not be cleared).
3. Type in +1500/4 and press [ENTER].
The result of the calculation (500.00) will be displayed in the
current cursor position. Note that the division of 1500 by 4 was
performed first and the result added to 125. As explained above
this is because in computer calculation multiplication and
division have a higher priority than addition and subtraction.
If you had wished to add 125 to 1500 and then divide the result
by 4 you would have needed to have entered (125 + 1500)/4.
CHAPTER 8
GRAPH MENU
The GPA program has the ability to draw graphs on screen and
print them out if required. Only one row can be selected for
graphing. The twelve months of the year are drawn on the
horizontal axis and on the vertical axis are the figures for each
month.
WHAT ARE THE COMMANDS AVAILABLE
The commands available are :
Graph
Row select
Col select
Title
Print graph
GRAPH
This command draws the selected graph on the screen.
ROW SELECT
This command selects the row that you require for your graph.
Pressing [ENTER] while the cursor is over this command or by
simply pressing [R] results in another window being displayed
adjacent to the graph menu window. This new window contains the
descriptions of all the rows. Use the cursor keys to move the
cursor over the required row and press [ENTER]. This row is now
selected for graphing.
COL SELECT
This command selects the column required for your graph.
Pressing [ENTER] while the cursor is over this command or
pressing [C] results in another window being displayed adjacent
to the graph menu window. Select from the three options, either
quantity, rate or total.
TITLE
Select this command if you wish to give your graph a title. The
data input window will be displayed and you can then type in your
title, which can be up to the printer page width minus the left
and right margins in length (maximum 80 characters).
PRINT GRAPH
Once you have selected the required row and column use this
command to print out your graph. You will require a printer
capable of printing IBM graphics characters. The print graph
routine will use the printer settings defined in the print menu.
CHAPTER 9
THE PRINT MENU
WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE PRINT MENU
Select this menu if you wish to print all or part of the
spreadsheet on an IBM compatible printer.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
The options are:
Print
Row select
Col select
Title
Width page
Line page
Margins
Single sheet
Number pages
Init string
PRINT
Select this option to print out the desired part of the
spreadsheet. However, before you start printing you must select
the part of the spreadsheet you wish to print out using the row
and column select commands.
When this command is selected, a new window will appear with the
message "Press a key to start printing" displayed within it.
Press a key (except [ESC] which aborts printing) and the message
"Printing page 1" will appear.
If single sheet is off, i.e. you are using continuous paper, then
printing will take place automatically.
If single sheet is on, the message "Press a key when ready" will
be displayed at the bottom off the window. Press a key when you
have loaded a sheet of paper into the printer and the current
page will be printed. This process will be repeated until all
pages have been printed.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PRINTER IS NOT READY
If the printer is turned off or is off-line then the program will
wait until the printer is ready to print.
HOW DO I ABORT PRINTING
Press [ESC] at any time to abort printing and return to the print
menu. Note that if your printer has a large print buffer,
printing may still continue even after aborting. Simply turn you
printer off to stop this.
HOW DO I SELECT ROWS AND COLUMNS FOR PRINTING
Before you select the print option from the print menu you must
select the rows and columns that you wish to print. You can
print all or part of the spreadsheet by first selecting the rows
and columns you wish to have printed prior to selecting the print
command.
ROW SELECT
Use this option to select the rows you wish to print. Move the
cursor over this command and press [ENTER] or simply press [R].
Another window will then be displayed next to the print menu
window - this will contain all the rows in your spreadsheet. By
pressing the [ENTER] key when the cursor is over a row, that row
will then be selected for printing. The cursor will then move
over the next row in the spreadsheet and that can be selected in
a similar manner. If you should wish not to select a row for
printing then use the cursor keys to move past it. All rows
selected for printing will be highlighted thus making it easy to
identify them. Press [ESC] when you have finished selecting
rows.
COLUMN SELECT
Use this option to select the columns that you wish to print.
Move the cursor over this command and press [ENTER] or simply
press [C]. Another window will then be displayed next to the
print menu window - this will contain all the columns in your
spreadsheet. By pressing the [ENTER] key when the cursor is over
a column, that column will be selected for printing. The cursor
will then move over the next column in the spreadsheet and that
can be selected in a similar manner. If you should wish not to
select a column for printing then use the cursor keys to move
past it. All the columns selected for printing will be
highlighted thus making it easy to identify them. Press [ESC]
when you have finished selecting columns.
TITLE
By selecting this option you can type in a title or message that
will appear at that the top of every page. This can be up to the
printer page width minus the left and right margins in length
(maximum 80 characters).
SINGLE SHEET
This option allows you to select whether you wish to print
continuously (as you might if you were using fanfold or
continuous paper) or whether you wish to pause at the start of
each sheet of paper (as you would if you were using single sheets
of paper), in order to insert another sheet of paper. Pressing
[ENTER] while you are over this option will cause it to toggle
between single sheet on (single sheet printing selected) and
single sheet off (continuous printing selected).
PAGE NUMBER
This option allows you to select whether you wish to have page
numbers printed at the bottom of each page. Pressing [ENTER]
while you are over this option will select between page numbering
on (page numbers will be printed at the bottom of each page) and
page numbering off (no page numbers printed).
LINES / PAGE
Selects the number of lines that can be accommodated on one page
of your paper. The default value is 66 lines.
WIDTH / PAGE
Sets the width of the page (the number of characters that can be
printed across one page). The default is 80 but this can be
increased if you are using smaller characters or a wide carriage
printer.
MARGINS
Use this command to set the left, right, top, bottom, header and
footer margins. A new window will appear next to the margin
command; the default values will be displayed one by one. These
can be left unchanged or altered to the required length.
THE LEFT MARGIN
The left margin is the number of spaces printed at the start of
every line between the edge of the paper and the first column of
text. The default value is 5.
THE RIGHT MARGIN
The right margin is the number of spaces printed between the last
column of text and the edge of the paper. The default value is
5.
THE TOP MARGIN
The top margin is the number of blank lines left at the top of
the page above the header. The default value is 3.
THE BOTTOM MARGIN
The bottom margin is the number of blank lines left below the
footer at the bottom of every page. The default value is 3.
THE HEADER MARGIN
The header margin is the number of blank lines between the top
margin and the first line of the text. The default value is 2.
If you have a title for your printout then this will be printed
between the top and header margins.
THE FOOTER MARGIN
The footer margin is the number of blank lines between the bottom
of the text and the bottom margin. The default value is 2. If
you choose to print out page numbers, these will be printed
between the footer and bottom margins.
USING THE DEFAULT MARGIN VALUES
If the default values are used when printing out your spreadsheet
then the text will be printed with five blank lines at the top
and bottom of the page and five blank spaces at each side of the
page. If you select the option of printing a title then each
page will be printed as if the default values had been selected
accept that the top margin of three lines will be separated from
the header margin of two lines by the title line.
Obviously, if the margins are selected then there will be less of
the spreadsheet printed on each sheet of paper. You may not wish
to include any margins for this reason.
INIT MESSAGE
If you have a dot matrix printer you may wish print out the text
in a certain typeface, condensed for example, in order to get
more text onto one page. Using this option you can specify a
list of control codes to be sent to the printer, prior to
printing, to initialise the printer
Some examples for Epson compatible printers include:
Italics 27 52
Standard (10 cpi) 27 80
Mini (12 cpi) 27 77
Condensed 27 15
SAVING MY SELECTED PRINT OPTIONS
Some of the print options can be saved in order to prevent you
from having to select them each time you use the program. The
width of the page, lines per page, margins and initialisation
message can be saved by first selecting the desired values and
then entering the options menu and executing the save
configuration command.
CHAPTER 10
OPTIONS
WHAT ARE THE COMMANDS AVAILABLE
This menu has the following commands :
Colour
Pence
Save config
COLOUR
Selecting this command by pressing [ENTER] when the cursor is
over it, will toggle the display between colour and monochrome.
If you have a monochrome screen then you will need to turn colour
off as this will give a clearer display.
PENCE
When in the edit mode you may wish not to display pence in the
total columns for clarity. This command toggles between pence on
(pence displayed in period totals) and pence off (pence not
displayed in period totals).
SAVE CONFIG
It would be very time consuming to set up the printer, colour and
pence options each time you use the program. Once they have been
configured to your liking, by entering the options menu and then
executing this command, all your selections will be saved in a
separate file, the configuration file. Next time you run the GPA
program this file be loaded automatically and your previously
selected options will be installed into the program. The
configuration file will also contain the name of the spreadsheet
file you were working on at the time the configuration file was
saved. When you next run the program and try to load a file this
file will be the default file displayed in the data input window
(replacing *.GPA).
CHAPTER 11
THE SETUP MENU
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SETUP MENU
This is the section of the program in which you configure the
spreadsheet to your own requirements and construct what is known
as a template file. You can construct a template from scratch or
use or modify one of the example templates provided on the disk.
When you first use the program it is probably best if you use one
of these example templates until you become familiar enough with
the program to construct you own.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
The options available in this section are:
First month
Zero figures
Select row
Type change
Auto-manual
Description
Next row
Insert row
Remove row
Blank all
FIRST MONTH
This selects the month you wish use as the start of the financial
year in your template:
1. Move the cursor over this option and press [ENTER] or simply
press [F]. The months of the year will be displayed.
2. Move the cursor over the month you wish to start your
accounts from and press [ENTER] to select this month.
When you return to the edit mode you will see that the first
month displayed is the one you have just selected. This is a
useful command because different practices start their accounts
in different months of the year and so you can select the first
month of your own accounts as the starting point of the
spreadsheet.
ZERO FIGURES
As the name of the function implies this command sets all the
figures in a spreadsheet to zero. However, the basic structure
of the spreadsheet remains unchanged and can be reused. This
command comes into its own at the start of a new accounting year
- the figures from the previous year can be set to zero and you
can begin to enter the figures for the new year. By giving the
data for the new year a different file name to the data for the
previous year, the previous year's data can be retained and
referred to again at a later date if required.
SELECT ROW
Use this option to select a row for modifying using the further
commands in this section.
1. Move the cursor over the select row option and press [ENTER].
The window to the right of the setup window will become active.
2. Move the cursor to the desired row and press [ENTER]. This
row will be selected and you will be returned to the setup
window.
TYPE CHANGE
Each row can be one of six types - Blank, Income, Expense, Total
Income, Total Expense and Net Total.
BLANK
As the name implies if a row is set to blank then a blank row
will be displayed at that point. This is useful for separating
sections of the spreadsheet and improving the tidiness of your
layout.
INCOME
Any row that refers to an item (such as capitation fees) that
brings you income is set as an income row.
EXPENSE
Any row that refers to an item (such as heating, lighting etc.)
that involves paying out money is set as an expense row.
TOTAL INC
At the end of the income rows set one row to be a total income
row. This will sum all the income rows to give you the total
income for that period.
TOTAL EXP
At the end of the expense rows set one row to be a total expenses
row. This will sum all the expense rows and give you the total
expenses for that period.
NET TOTAL
After the income and expenses rows set one row to be a net total
row. This will calculate your net income for a period from the
income and expense rows.
AUTO / MANUAL
Rows can be set to either auto or manual calculation.
Each period on the spreadsheet is divided into three sections -
quantity, rate and total. In an auto row, the monthly quantity
and rate figures are entered by you and the the monthly total
figure is calculated automatically by multiplying the rate by the
quantity. In a manual row, the quantity and rate columns are not
available, and the monthly totals are calculated and entered by
you.
WHEN SHOULD I USE AUTO CALCULATION
Use auto calculation when a total payment is based on a quantity
and a fixed rate. For example, if the current rate for a
cervical smear is #5.60 and you performed 21 in one month, then
the total payment for that month would be #117.60. The cervical
smear row would, therefore, be an ideal row for auto calculation.
WHEN SHOULD I USE MANUAL CALCULATION
In some circumstances it is not appropriate to calculate a figure
from a quantity and rate. For example your electricity bill is
paid as a lump sum every quarter. A figure such as this is more
appropriately entered directly into the required total column.
If you wish to do this then set that row to manual - you may then
enter the figure directly into the required total column.
DO AUTO AND MANUAL ROWS APPEAR DIFFERENTLY
When you are in Edit mode, auto and manual rows will appear
differently. Any row that is set to auto will have figures for
quantity, rate and total for every period. Any row that is set
to manual will not have any figures under the quantity and rate
columns. It is only possible to to enter data in to the total
column.
DESCRIPTION
Select this option to give a description to a row. The data
input window will be displayed with the previous description if
there is one or it will be blank if there was no previous
description. Enter your new description (30 characters maximum)
or edit the current description.
NEXT ROW
This command selects the row following your current one. If you
are at the bottom of the template file a new blank row will be
added and then selected.
INSERT ROW
Use this command if you wish to insert a row at a certain point
within the template. You must first select the point at which
you wish to insert a row by using the select row option. Once
you have selected the required place then move the cursor over
the Insert Row option and press [ENTER] or simply press [I]. A
blank row will them be inserted at that point. This can then be
configured to be the type of row you wish it to be using the
other commands in this section.
REMOVE ROW
Use this command if you wish to remove a row from a particular
point. It is similar in operation to the Insert Row option.
First select the row you wish to remove using the select row
option and then execute the Remove Row option. The selected row
will then be removed from the template. Be careful when using
this command because any data in the row removed will be lost.
HOW DO I CONFIGURE A ROW
This is straightforward. For example to insert a row and assign
the description "CERVICAL CYTOLOGY PAYMENTS" to a row and set it
to an auto calculate and income row, the following procedure
would be carried out:
1. Select the setup menu from the Main menu.
2. Select the select row option. The row select window on the
right will become active.
3. Move the cursor over the row above which you wish to insert
the new row and press [ENTER]. This row has now been selected.
You will be automatically returned to the Setup window.
4. Select the insert row command.
5. Select the type change option. The type change window will
appear.
6. Select the income row type. You will be automatically
returned to the Setup menu.
7. Select the auto/manual option.
8. Select the description option. The data input window will
appear.
9. Enter "CERVICAL CYTOLOGY PAYMENTS" followed by [ENTER].
Note that after every modification, the row select window to the
right will be updated to reflect the change.
APPENDIX A
THE TEMPLATE.GPA FILE
As explained in the manual the template file is a previously
configured spreadsheet into which you can enter data directly.
The template file is not exhaustive and does not contain every
single feature of the Red Book. However you are free to modify
this file as you wish and may add in any further items required.
It is 138 rows in length and as the maximum size of the a
template file is 150 rows it is possible to add a further 12 rows
of your choice to it.
The template file is split into two main sections, one for income
and one for expenses. At the bottom of the income rows is a
total income figure. At the bottom of the expenses rows is a
total expenses figure. At the very bottom of the spreadsheet is
a net practice income figure. The various income and expense
rows are listed below in the order they appear in the template
file.
PRACTICE INCOME
ALLOWANCES
Basic Practice
Designated Area
Group Practice
Seniority : 1st
Seniority : 2nd
Seniority : 3rd
Vocational Training
Postgraduate Training
Employing Assistant
Supplementary Practice
Initial Practice
Doctor's Retaining Scheme
Trainer's Grant
Training Payments
CAPITATION FEES
Patients under 65
Patients 65-74
Patients 75 plus
Supplementary Capitation
NIGHT VISIT FEES
1-2 at same site
3-5 at same site
6 plus at same site
ITEMS OF SERVICE FEES
Vaccination : 1st dose
Vaccination : 2nd dose
Vaccination : single or final
Vaccination : booster
Cervical Cytology
Contraceptive Services
Fitting an IUCD
MATERNITY SERVICE FEES
Complete Care
Antenatal Care : to week 16
Antenatal Care : weeks 17-30
Antenatal Care : weeks 31 plus
Miscarriage
Confinement Care
Complete Postnatal Care
Partial Postnatal Care
Full Postnatal Examination
TEMPORARY RESIDENT FEES
Treatment : 1-15 DAYS
Treatment : 15 days plus
Contraceptive : Ordinary
Contraceptive : IUCD fitting
EMERGENCY TREATMENT FEES
Daytime Consultation
Night Visit Consultation
Minor Surgery
Fracture Treatment
Dislocation Reduction
Anaesthetic Administration
Dental Haemorrhage Arrest
IMMEDIATE TREATMENT FEES
Up to 15 days
16 days plus
RURAL PRACTICE PAYMENTS
Drugs and appliances supply
Oxygen supply
Unit payment
ABSENCE PAYMENTS
Sickness locum allowance
Confinement allowance
Prolonged study leave
Extended study leave
PREMISES PAYMENTS
Rent
Mortgage interest
Rates
Refuse collection charges
Water meter charges
Improvement grants
STAFF PAYMENTS
Staff wages
Training costs
Employer's NIC
Employer's NHS superannuation
Related staff payment
Related staff employer's NIC
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME
Advances
Insurance Medicals
Insurance reports
Private fees
Deposit account interest
Other Income
TOTAL PRACTICE INCOME
PRACTICE EXPENSES
STAFF PAYMENTS
Staff wages
Training costs
Trainee Salary
Locum payments
Employer's NIC
Employer's NHS superannuation
PREMISE PAYMENTS
Rent
Mortgage interest
Rates
Water rates
Heating and lighting
Insurance
Repairs and renewals
Cleaning charges
EQUIPMENT CHARGES
Drugs
Instruments
Medical supplies
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
Telephone
Stationary
Photocopying and printing
Books and periodicals
Postage
SERVICE CHARGES
Bank charges
Accountancy
Legal fees
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
Repayment of advances
Subscriptions
Depreciation
Other expenses
TOTAL PRACTICE EXPENSES
NET PRACTICE INCOME
APPENDIX B
USER SUPPORT
Because I am a full time working doctor I am unable to offer
telephone support for the GPA program. However, should you have
any queries about the program or suggestions for improvements
please do not hesitate to write to me at the address listed at
the end of this appendix and I shall endeavour to reply as soon
as possible.
Occasionally, modifications and enhancements may be made to the
GPA program. If such changes are not listed in the manual they
will be included in a text file on the main disk. This file is
called README.DOC and is a standard ASCII file that can be loaded
into any word processor or displayed on screen using the MS-DOS
type command.
If you find the programme useful and wish to register as a user,
please send a cheque for #30 to the address below. Registration
entitles you to a copy of the manual and the latest version of
the programme.
Dr F. A. Majeed
79, Bridge Street
Cardiff CF1 2EB
