Talking General Practice (GPonline.com)

This week we take a look at the government and NHS Digital’s plans for a mass data extraction of all GP patient records in England, highlighting some of the concerns and why it has been put on hold for two months.

We also look at the additional roles reimbursement scheme, a major plank of funding in the five-year GP contract that promises extra staff for primary care in England, and ask will it help alleviate workload pressures?

Our interview features Dr Tamsin Ellis, a GP in London and chair of the London branch of the Greener Practice group, who talks about greener general practice and why GPs should take steps to help tackle the climate crisis.

Finally our regular good news section highlights some positive comments we’ve had from GPs about life in general practice during the past 15 months.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Greener Practice - https://www.greenerpractice.co.uk/

Latest on the ARRS - https://www.gponline.com/gps-demand-flexibility-support-430m-additional-roles-cash-drives-pcn-recruitment/article/1718195

Details of the health and social care committee’s report on workforce and burnout, which Nick mentions - https://www.gponline.com/nhs-workforce-plans-need-total-overhaul-tackle-burnout-crisis-mps-warn/article/1718365

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This week we discuss the government’s plans to relax almost all of the current COVID-19 restrictions when it moves to step 4 of its roadmap, currently scheduled for 19 July, and find out what the NHS thinks about it. 

We also look at what the COVID-19 booster campaign this autumn could mean for general practice and discuss the latest GP trainee recruitment figures.

Our interview this week is with Dr Pauline Foreman, who is a GP in Hertfordshire and clinical director of the Personalised Care Institute, and we talk about why NHS England made personalised care a key part of its long-term plan and how we can embed it across the NHS in the coming years. 

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Personalised Care Institute - https://www.personalisedcareinstitute.org.uk/

COVID-19 vaccine gap threatens rise in inequality and GP workload as restrictions ease - https://www.gponline.com/covid-19-vaccine-gap-threatens-rise-inequality-gp-workload-restrictions-ease/article/1721548

General practice set for record trainee recruitment for fourth year running https://www.gponline.com/general-practice-set-record-trainee-recruitment-fourth-year-running/article/1721367

'Incoherent' decision to relax COVID rules puts patients and NHS at risk, say doctors https://www.gponline.com/incoherent-decision-relax-covid-rules-puts-patients-nhs-risk-say-doctors/article/1721407

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This week the team talks about supply problems affecting GP practices - namely delays to flu vaccine deliveries and the NHS-wide blood test tube shortage. They look at what these problems mean for practices and the knock on impact on patients.

They also look at the state of the BMA and NHS England’s relationship now that the BMA has agreed to restart formal talks after a five-month break.

In our interview this week Luke speaks with Dr Ellie Reed, an F1 junior doctor in south west London, who is one of the doctors behind the Just a GP campaign that is aiming to tackle the stigma and prejudice in medical schools towards general practice.

And finally we highlight some (sort of) good news on PCNs. We discuss NHS England’s decision to defer much of the work that was due to begin in October, an increase in funding for network management and a possible change to the way funding for the Investment and Impact Fund works.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Watch the Just a GP video on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp0TzHIKFUo

Government must take responsibility for blood tube shortage chaos, BMA warns

https://www.gponline.com/government-responsibility-blood-tube-shortage-chaos-bma-warns/article/1726340

GPs scramble to cancel clinics as flu vaccine deliveries delayed by 'up to two weeks'

https://www.gponline.com/gps-scramble-cancel-clinics-flu-vaccine-deliveries-delayed-up-two-weeks/article/1726349

‘Too early’ to talk about flu vaccine shortage, says minister https://www.gponline.com/too-early-talk-flu-vaccine-shortages-says-minister/article/1726656

Senior BMA GPs resign as talks with NHS England resume

https://www.gponline.com/senior-bma-gps-resign-talks-nhs-england-resume/article/1726644

Nonsensical to make GPs collect patient ethnicity data twice, warns top doctor

https://www.gponline.com/nonsensical-gps-collect-patient-ethnicity-data-twice-warns-top-doctor/article/1726535

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This week the team discusses the current furore around face-to-face appointments and how national media campaigns and comments from MPs about access to general practice is affecting GPs and their teams.

They also look at the COVID-19 booster campaign and what this means for general practice this autumn. And discuss the additional roles reimbursement scheme – the initiative that is aiming to bring an additional 26,000 full-time equivalent staff into primary care in England by 2024 – and ask: is it making a difference?

In our interview this week Emma speaks to GP and menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson about improving menopause care and education for doctors and other health professionals. We discuss how her career led her to becoming one of the UK’s most recognisable experts on the menopause and the new charity - The Menopause Charity - which she launched earlier this year.

And finally our regular good news spot highlights a primary care network in Cornwall that is taking an innovative step to help tackle climate change.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Confidence in the Menopause (free training for healthcare professionals)

The Menopause Charity

MIMS Learning webinar on the menopause presented by Dr Louise Newson

NICE guidelines on the menopause - a learning module on MIMS Learning written by Dr Louise Newson and Dr Rebecca Lewis

Millions of pounds lost to general practice as flagship recruitment scheme falls short

BMA demands emergency meeting with government over GP abuse

'Out of touch' Javid deepens rift with GPs over face-to-face appointments

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In this episode the team talks about the latest GP appointment data and what it tells us about exactly how hard general practice is working. They ask, is the government starting to recognise the important role general practice plays? And they take a look at new government legislation around pay transparency in general practice.

In our interview this week Emma speaks to Dr Rebecca Rosen, a GP in London and senior fellow at health think tank the Nuffield Trust, about continuity care. We discuss what GPs and their teams can do if they want to increase levels of continuity of care in their practice.

And finally our regular good news spot looks at a social media campaign where patients showed their support for their GP.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Continuity of care toolkit and resources from the RCGP

Huge drop in DNAs post-pandemic adds millions of appointments to GP workload

GPs 'singled out' as pay transparency rules threaten fresh wave of abuse

Patients show support for GPs through #ThanksToMyGP social media campaign

BMA polls GPs over withdrawing work or quitting NHS amid mounting abuse

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In this special episode of our podcast we speak to the chair of the Royal College of GPs Professor Martin Marshall.

GPonline editor Emma Bower spoke to Professor Marshall ahead of the RCGP’s annual conference, which takes place in Liverpool this week.

Professor Marshall discusses the current media storm around face-to-face appointments, what needs to be done to tackle the workload crisis in general practice and why he thinks being a GP is still the best job in medicine. He also tells us what it has been like being chair of the college during a global pandemic.

GPonline is delighted to once again be the college’s media partner for its annual conference, which takes place on 14th and 15th October. We’ll be in Liverpool reporting all the news from the event, which you can read on our website from Thursday morning.

Find all of the news from the RCGP annual conference 2021 here

This episode was produced by Czarina Deen.

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This week we take a look at the government’s so-called support package for general practice. We discuss what’s in the package, what GPs think about it (spoiler - not much) and what happens next.

We’re also talking about chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty’s appearance at the RCGP annual conference last week and what he had to say about general practice and the difficult winter ahead.

Emma speaks to Dr Richard Mayne a GP in Belfast about the impact of sedentary behaviour in general practice and the importance of promoting physical activity. And we have a bit of good news about research in general practice.

Useful links

GPs overwhelmingly reject access plans as BMA holds emergency meeting

Viability of general practice this winter in doubt, warns BMA

CMO praises GP pandemic response and warns 'exceptionally difficult' winter to come

The Moving Medic - Dr Richard Mayne’s blog

Domestic violence training and support programme shown to increase GP referrals 30-fold

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This week the team looks at the fallout from the government’s so-called support package for general practice in England. We discuss the BMA’s plans to ballot GPs on different types of industrial action they could take in protest to the controversial plans that fail to address the current workload crisis and could have the opposite effect of making things significantly worse.

We’ll also be looking at the response of some local healthcare leaders to the proposals and what the latest appointment data tell us about how access to general practice is currently working.

In our interview, Emma speaks to Dr Amy Small, a GP in Lothian in Scotland, about her experience of living with long Covid. She talks about how long Covid has affected her life, her family, and her job as a GP - and what she thinks needs to be done to improve services and support for other people affected by the condition.

And we have a bit of good news about booster vaccines.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who was joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and our senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

A link to the book Dr Amy Small mentioned in her interview (Amazon) Classic Pacing for a Better Life with ME

Top tips: managing long COVID

Our sister site MIMS Learning has the following learning resources on long COVID

●     Guidance update: Long COVID assessment and management

●     Neurological aspects of long COVID - an on-demand webinar

GP industrial action ballot over access plans to end mid-November, BMA confirms

Regional NHS bosses will ignore 'name and shame' GP access plans

Patient choice should determine whether GP appointments are face-to-face, says Javid

GP appointments hit new high as face-to-face contacts surge

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This week we’re talking about a new inquiry into the future of general practice launched by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, with MPs warning that the profession is ‘in crisis’.

We also look at the decision to introduce mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for NHS staff in England. And we’ll be discussing the election of a new chair for the BMA’s GP committee in England and looking ahead to next week’s conference of English LMCs.

Emma speaks to Dr Veronica Grant a GP in Derbyshire and the RCGP clinical champion for veterans health about the healthcare needs of veterans and steps practices can take to support veterans and military families,

And we have a bit of good news about GP trainees.

The episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior news reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

RCGP veterans’ healthcare toolkit

Veteran friendly practice accreditation

What are the top priorities for the new BMA GP committee chair?

MPs launch inquiry into future of general practice - warning profession is 'in crisis'

Doctors back call to force government to publish NHS workforce planning

COVID vaccine mandate could strip 9,000 staff from general practice

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This week the team discusses the Omicron COVID-19 variant, changes to the vaccination booster programme and how this could impact on practice workload.

They also talk about the results of the BMA’s industrial action ballot and what went on at the English LMCs conference last week, including the first address by new GPC England chair Dr Farah Jameel and a wide ranging debate on GP and practice staff wellbeing.

In this episode's intereview, Luke speaks to Dr Matt Sawyer a GP in Yorkshire about a new calculator that he has developed to help GP practices calculate their non-clinical carbon footprint and steps practices can take to be more sustainable.

And, while good news seems to be a bit thin on the ground at the moment, there is a positive story from general practice in Wales.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who was joined by GPonline’s news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GPs offered £15 per jab as government sets 31 January COVID-19 booster deadline

●     'Line in the sand': GPC chair offers olive branch to government but warns GPs ready to fight

●     More than half of GP practices prepared to pull out of PCNs, BMA ballot shows

●     ‘Utterly toxic’: GPs speak out over abuse and physical attacks on practice teams

●     Welsh GP contract maintains 'total triage' - in stark contrast to Westminster approach on access

●     The GP Carbon Calculator is here https://www.gpcarbon.org/#/

●     You can find Dr Matt Sawyer on Twitter @SEESustainabil1

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This week the team looks at plans to ramp up the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme and what this means for GPs and their teams.

They also discuss the latest annual GMC State of Medical Education and Practice report and what it tells us about general practice.

In our interview Emma speaks to Dr Ellen Fallows, a GP in Oxfordshire and director of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine’s learning academy. Ellen explains exactly what lifestyle medicine is, the evidence to support its use and how GPs and other clinicians can make use of it in their day-to-day practice.

And we have a Christmas good news story to wrap things up.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

British Society of Lifestyle Medicine

GP practices to redeploy staff as NHS demands extra funding to fight Omicron

COVID vaccine 15-minute observation rule looks set to be scrapped

Vaccinated NHS staff no longer need to self isolate ic close contact of Omicron case

Third of GPs at ‘high risk’ of burnout as GMC reveals impact of unsustainable workload

Workload and burnout risk rising fast among GP trainers and trainees

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Talking General Practice is going weekly! We will now be available every Friday. One week will feature our news round-up and the following week will be an interview with someone from the world of general practice, taking a more in-depth look at a key issue in primary care.

This week it’s news. The team looks at the pressure general practice is currently under as a result of the Omicron variant, staff absences and soaring patient demand. They also discuss what the huge backlog of care means for practices and weigh up whether the additional roles reimbursement scheme is likely to deliver on its promise of 26,000 more staff in primary care.

There’s also some good news about flu jabs.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

'Eventually it will have to break': LMC alert systems show general practice in distress

General practice 'forgotten soldier' as Omicron drives rising pressure on NHS

Progress on recruiting 26,000 staff to support general practice 'very concerning'

Flu vaccine uptake 'highest on record' as GPs jab 81% of over-65s

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This week Talking General Practice speaks to Beccy Baird, senior fellow at health think tank the King’s Fund, about primary care networks.

Beccy talks about how networks are getting on, what support they need to succeed, and how the introduction of integrated care systems is likely to affect them. We also look at whether the additional roles reimbursement scheme is the answer to the challenges general practice faces and what the future looks like for PCNs at the end of this five-year GP contract.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Links to some of Beccy’s work with the King’s Fund

From GPonline’s sister site GP Business - How to make the most of your ARRS roles

General practice recruitment scheme falling short by thousands of staff

Viewpoint: Are PCNs working - and where do they go from here?

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This week the team discusses results of a recent GPonline survey that found GPs are conducting 84% more patient contacts per day on average than the level considered safe by the BMA, and ask whether there should be a cap on the number of consultations GPs undertake.

They also talk about mandatory vaccination for NHS staff and the findings of a report from the CQC that found its own regulatory processes may disadvantage against GP practices led by doctors from ethnic minorities.

And, as the government in England abandons plan B and rolls back most COVID-19 restrictions, what is the reaction from the NHS?

Finally, our good news is about a unique art-based social prescribing initiative.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     ‘We just can’t keep going endlessly’: GPs speak out over 'undoable' workload

●     GP patient contacts running 84% above safe limit, poll suggests

●     General practice delivered an unprecedented 367m appointments in 2021

●     COVID jab mandate 'under review' as 77,000 NHS staff unvaccinated

●     Social prescribing patients curate art exhibition at leading Cornish gallery

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This week on Talking General Practice, Emma talks to Dr Richard Fieldhouse, a locum GP and chair of the National Association of Sessional GPs, which he set up in 1997 to represent and lobby on behalf of locum and salaried GPs.

Richard discusses how the NHS could make better use of the locum GP workforce, how the pandemic has affected locums and how practices can get the best from their locum GPs, He also highlights the benefits of working in a chambers and offers some advice on developing a portfolio career.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

National Association of Sessional GPs

What locum GPs need to know about the NHS Pension Scheme

Key financial issues for locum GPs

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This week the GPonline team looks at the government’s plan to tackle the backlog of care in the NHS and what it all means for general practice.

They’re also discussing reports that health secretary Sajid Javid has recommended to Boris Johnson that family doctors should be directly employed by hospitals instead of running their own surgeries - a proposal some have said would effectively nationalise GPs.

In other news, they look at what’s going on at the BMA with industrial action and consider why debates about this within the association have echoes of the Romney report into sexism a couple of years ago. And they discuss a new report from the association about racism in the NHS.

There’s also the usual dose of good news to finish off.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     No let-up for GPs as Javid says NHS waiting list will grow for two more years

●     Plans to tackle NHS backlog threaten extra pressure on overstretched GPs

●     Exhausted GPs could quit PCN leadership roles amid doubts over funding

●     Fresh questions over BMA culture two years after Romney sexism review

●     BMA's GP leaders failing a profession 'shackled to a contract no longer fit for purpose'

●     NHS leaders have 'heads in sand' over widespread racism, BMA warns

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This week Talking General Practice speaks to Professor Dame Clare Gerada, president of the Royal College of GPs and medical director of NHS Practitioner Health, the NHS service that looks after doctors and other staff experiencing mental ill health.

Dame Clare explains how she came to set up NHS Practitioner Health, the impact the pandemic has had on GPs’ mental health and what should be done to better support doctors’ wellbeing going forwards.

She also talks about her career, what it was like being a trailblazing female leader in the NHS when she became chair of the college, including the scrutiny she was under on social media, and her current role as RCGP president.

And she offers her thoughts on what could be done to retain GPs and offers advice to aspiring healthcare leaders.

Useful links

●     NHS Practitioner Health

●     Doctors In Distress

●     Where can GPs access help and support if they are struggling to cope?

●     https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/

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The team takes a closer look at the GP workforce and which parts of England are most under-doctored.

They also look at how primary care networks are faring with recruitment of new staff and why being a clinical director is an increasingly tough job.

And they highlight reaction to the government’s plan for how England will ‘live with COVID’ as well as some updates to the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Finally there is some good news about GP partners to round things off.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Talking General Practice is the podcast from GPonline.com.

Useful links

●     Map: Where are England's most underdoctored areas?

●     GPs in England's most underdoctored areas caring for twice as many patients

●     ‘We’ve missed a real opportunity with PCNs’: top London GP leaves clinical director role

●     Multi-billion pound PCN recruitment scheme fails to meet halfway target

●     Golden hello scheme drives surge in new GP partners

●     Most vulnerable to receive additional COVID-19 booster this spring

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GPonline’s senior reporter Luke Haynes speaks to Dr Farzana Hussain a GP and primary care network clinical director in Newham, east London.

Dr Hussain recently announced she is stepping down from her role as clinical director at the end of March. She has been a big advocate for the PCNs since they were introduced in 2019, but issues such as top-down management, endless meetings, and restrictive recruitment rules have led her to resign.

She talks to Luke in more depth about the reasons behind her decision, what she believes the problems facing PCNs are and what needs to happen to bring about real change in general practice.

Produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     ‘We’ve missed a real opportunity with PCNs’: top London GP leaves clinical director role

●     Bureaucratic PCN targets 'no way to commission care', says BMA

●     Exhausted GPs could quit PCN leadership roles amid doubts over funding

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The team discusses the new GP contract for 2022/23, which will be imposed on practices after talks between NHS England and the BMA broke down. They highlight what’s in the deal and how GPs have reacted to it.

They also take a look at a new report from the think tank Policy Exchange, which recommends that the GMS contract should be scrapped within a decade, with GPs becoming 'predominantly salaried' within large-scale providers. What’s of particular interest is that this report’s recommendations have been endorsed by health and social care secretary Sajid Javid

They discuss the findings of some new research into the additional roles reimbursement scheme which warns the multi-billion pound initiative is at risk of failure. And take a look at the response of UK doctors to the devastating war in Ukraine.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Ukrainian Medical Association of the UK

●     Medicines Sans Frontieres work in Ukraine

●     Red Cross DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

From GPonline and GP Business

●     What is changing in the GP contract in 2022/23?

●     BMA ‘bitterly disappointed’ as imposed contract forces 9-5 Saturday opening

●     'Are they out to destroy general practice?' - GPs react to imposed contract changes

●     Javid-backed report calls for end of GMS contract within a decade

●     Flagship general practice recruitment scheme ‘at risk of failure’, report finds

●     Details of the Investment and Impact Fund for 2022/23

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This week Talking General Practice speaks to Professor Dame Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard.

Dame Helen is the immediate past chair of the RCGP and is currently chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing and also chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

We talk about what the National Academy for Social Prescribing is aiming to do, the evidence to support the use of social prescribing and what’s needed to make social prescribing a success.

We also discuss the work of the AoMRC, what needs to be done to tackle the workforce crisis and whether Dame Helen feels optimistic about the future of general practice.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     National Academy for Social Prescribing

●     Academy of Medical Royal Colleges

From GPonline

●     Flagship general practice recruitment scheme ‘at risk of failure’, report finds

●     More than 1,000 GPs urge MPs to back NHS workforce amendment

●     How social prescribing is helping patients in our practices

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This week the team discusses the launch of a new campaign aimed at rebuilding general practice. They also talk about the House of Commons health and social care select committee’s inquiry into the future of general practice, which held its first evidence session last week. Both of these feature prominent appearances from former health and social care secretary Jeremy Hunt.

They look at how the NHS backlog is impacting on general practice, including the findings of a report from the public accounts committee and the results of a recent GPonline survey.

There’s a quick round-up of COVID-related news and finally, they highlight how the war is affecting GPs in Ukraine.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

From GPonline

●     GPs unveil blueprint to rebuild general practice backed by former health secretary

●     RCGP and former health secretary call for QOF to be scrapped

●     GP funding formula perpetuates inequality, MPs told

●     'It's unsustainable' - NHS backlog pushing practices to breaking point

●     General practice in Ukraine: 'COVID doesn't seem scary right now'

Other links

●     Rebuild General Practice campaign

●     Ukraine Medical Help Fund

●     Ukrainian Medical Association of the UK

●     Medicines Sans Frontieres work in Ukraine

●     Red Cross DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

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This week Talking General Practice speaks to Dr Pavlo Kolesnyk - a GP and educator in Uzhhorod, a city in the west of Ukraine.

GPonline’s senior reporter Luke Haynes talks to Dr Kolesynk about the impact the war has had on his city, including the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees from the east, and how family doctors in Uzhhorod are maintaining primary care services in the face of a severe shortage of medical supplies.

A special thanks to Dr Kolesnyk for managing to find the time to talk to us, despite the additional work and extra pressure he is dealing with at the minute.

To find out how to donate to support Dr Kolesnyk, email gabor.peter1954@gmail.com.

This episode was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Ukraine Medical Help Fund

●     Ukrainian Medical Association of the UK (Facebook page)

●     Medicines Sans Frontieres work in Ukraine

●     Red Cross DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

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This week Talking General Practice takes an in-depth look at the GP workforce. Last week GPonline published a new interactive map, which analyses data to determine which parts of the country are most at risk from an ageing workforce. On the podcast we discuss what all this data tells us about the state of the GP workforce and some of the challenges facing general practice.

We also assess why patient satisfaction with the NHS has reached a 25-year low and what the British Social Attitudes survey, which that figure comes from, had to say about general practice.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Map: Which parts of England are at risk from an ageing GP workforce?

●     One in 10 GP practices at risk of closure due to ageing workforce

●     Map: Where are England's most underdoctored areas?

●     Satisfaction with GP services sinks to 40-year low

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This week Talking General Practice speaks to National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) president Dr Johnny Marshall.

The NAPC is the organisation behind the primary care home model, which it began developing in the early 2010s. Primary care networks, introduced as part of the 2019 GP contract, were based on the NAPC’s model.

In this podcast, GPonline senior reporter Luke Haynes speaks to Dr Marshall about the progress of PCNs, the limitations of the model to date, and where health leaders could make improvements.

This episode was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

What is changing in the GP contract for 2022/23?

PCNs have become 'mini primary care trusts' with inadequate support

‘We’ve missed a real opportunity with PCNs’: top London GP leaves clinical director role

NAPC Primary Care Home model

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In our fortnightly news review the GPonline team looks at the demise of smaller GP practices and asks whether small practices are now a thing of the past. They talk about what plans for enhanced access, that will be introduced under this year’s network contract DES from October, mean for practices and PCNs. And they discuss what LMCs think about the BMA’s approach to GP contract negotiations. Finally there’s some good news about some new research on identifying sepsis in primary care.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     'Soul of general practice' at risk as small practices decimated since 2015

●     12,000 GPs plan to quit within five years, major survey suggests

●     Underfunding will severely limit services GPs offer under PCN enhanced access

●     GPs want BMA action to stop 'slow death' of independent contractor model

●     Simple diagnostic model could help GPs spot sepsis earlier

●     BJGP research on sepsis identification

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On the podcast this week GPonline’s senior reporter Luke Haynes speaks to Dr Amy Small, a GP in Lothian, Scotland, about her work with the Rebuild General Practice campaign.

The campaign is aiming to raise awareness of the crisis facing general practice. It’s also calling for a plan to tackle recruitment, reduce GP workload and deal with the other issues driving GPs out of the profession such as burnout.

Dr Small talks about her reasons for getting involved in the campaign, the impact negative media has had on the profession and her own experience of burnout, as well as what she thinks is needed to address the crisis. It was produced by Czarina Deen

Useful links

●     Rebuild General Practice

●     GPs unveil blueprint to rebuild general practice backed by former health secretary

●     GPs to demand core hours cut to 9-5 and new contract with workload limits

●     Vast majority of GPs face rising abuse and aggression from patients

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our fortnightly news review the team looks at the latest workforce and appointment statistics for general practice in England.

They also discuss what’s happening about specialist status for GPs and the latest developments in the Rebuild General Practice campaign. And they take a look ahead to what will be up for debate at next week’s UK LMCs conference and round off with a bit of good news about a gardening GP.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Luke Haynes. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GP appointments surge by 4m as NHS loses hundreds of GPs

●     Most GPs face work-related mental ill health as campaigners warn of suicide risk

●     Axed workforce amendment 'a missed opportunity' to save general practice, RCGP warns

●     Specialist status for GPs delayed as legislative timetable slips

●     How gardening can help improve wellbeing

●     BBC Two - Gardeners' World, 2022, Episode 8, Shahnaz Camatchee

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emma speaks to GPs Dr Tommy Perkins and Dr Ed Cantelo who set up the company Medics Money to help educate doctors about finance and ensure they had access to reliable financial information.

They talk about why they set up the company and Ed explains how he went from being a chartered accountant and tax adviser to a doctor.

They also discuss the problems surrounding the NHS pension, provide some practical financial tips for GPs at all stages of their career and Tommy explains why he thinks being a partner is still a great career choice.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Medics Money website

Medics Money tax rebate guide

Medics Money podcast

From GPonline

Does GP partnership still make sense?

Rising number of GPs face pension tax penalty as inflation set to deepen workforce crisis

Pension records for nearly 20,000 GPs are 'in error', government admits

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This week the team discusses what went on at last week’s conference of local medical committees UK conference. They look at dissatisfaction around representation of GPs within the BMA and round up some votes from the conference that set out what LMCs want to happen to tackle the current workload crisis.

They also talk about the results of a survey the BMA conducted among GP trainees and ask what it tells us about the future of the profession.

And they discuss the NHS pension and why the government’s failure to tackle the issues around the annual allowance could mean that more GPs end up being hit with punitive tax charges.

And there’s some good news about a free coaching programme for GPs and primary care staff.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     UK LMCs conference 2022: full coverage from GPonline

●     LMCs warn of 'existential threat' to GP partnership model

●     GPs demand contract with safe working limits but reject core hours cut

●     One in eight GP trainees do not plan to work in general practice, BMA poll shows

●     Rising number of GPs face pension tax penalty as inflation set to deepen workforce crisis

●     GPs tell how coaching helped them manage practices during COVID-19

●     'Looking After You Too' coaching

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This week Emma speaks to Dr Euan Strachan-Orr, chair of the BMA’s GP trainee subcommittee and a third year GP trainee in Liverpool.

They talk about the results of a recent BMA survey of GP trainees that looked at their experiences of GP training and future career intentions. They also discuss the problems with the recorded consultation assessment - the exam that all trainees currently need to pass in order to become a GP – and how it needs to change.

And they talk about the visa challenges faced by international medical graduates who train as GPs in the UK, junior doctor pay and the importance of extra support for newly-qualified GPs who trained during the pandemic.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Details of the BMA GP trainee subcommittee

●     Advice for GP trainees on GPonline

●     Tips on how to prepare for the recorded consultation assessment

●     Thousands of GP trainees face visa barrier to employment

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emma and Nick discuss the stocktake of primary care that has just been carried out on behalf of NHS England by GP Dr Claire Fuller. They look at what it had to say and what it could mean for general practice.

They also talk about general practice workforce figures and the government’s ongoing attempts to misrepresent the data.

And they look at what GPs really think about primary care networks and discuss some very real concerns about the future of the partnership model of general practice.

Finally there’s a bit of good news about primary care nursing.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who was joined by our news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links:

What does the Fuller stocktake mean for general practice in England? (from GP Business)

what does fuller stocktake mean on general practice england

Government accused of 'misleading' claims on general practice workforce

NHS workforce fears as retirements surge to all-time high

Most GPs say PCNs have added to GP workload and bring little benefit to practices

PCNs are 'existential threat' to GP independent contractor model, BMA warns

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This week on the podcast GPonline editor Emma Bower speaks to Dr Emma Wong, chair of the RCGP's First 5 committee. The committee represents newly qualified GPs in their first 5 years of practice within the college.

They talk about making the transition from training to independent practice, the support that's available to new GPs and Emma's decision to become a partner straight out of training - which is now becoming a more unusual career step.

Emma also explains why she thinks portfolio careers can benefit general practice and offers some practical advice to those about to qualify.

This episode was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

RCGP information and resources for First 5 GPs

How to contact the RCGP First 5 committee

NHS Practitioner Health

Next Generation GP

Why general practice needs more young leaders - article on GPonline about the Next Generation GP scheme

Details of the New to Partnership Scheme

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This week Emma and Nick look at the results of a court hearing involving NHS Property Services and what this means for practices located in buildings owned by the organisation.

They also talk about the findings from a new survey by the BMA into racism in the NHS and looking ahead to the BMA’s annual representative meeting in just over a week and the primary care motions that are up for debate. Finally, there’s some good news on fit notes and Jubilee honours.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     We work in a 1950s tin-roof health centre': poll shows impact of NHS underfunding

●     GPs recognised in Queen's Jubilee honours

●     'Devastating' legal ruling threatens practice closures over £200m NHSPS service charges

●     Racism threatens to drive thousands of GPs out of their jobs, BMA poll suggests

●     GPs could withdraw from PCNs by 2023 under plan set for BMA debate

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emma speaks to RCGP chair Professor Martin Marshall ahead of the college’s annual conference next week.

Professor Marshall talks about the government’s attitude to general practice, how he believes the workforce and workload crisis could be tackled and the impact the backlog of care is having on general practice.

He also discusses the future of the NHS under integrated care systems and his views on primary care networks and whether he feels positive about the future of general practice.

The conversation was recorded just ahead of the college launching its new campaign - which you can read more about from the links below.

GPonline is once again the media partner for the RCGPs annual conference. You can read all the news from the event which takes place from 29 June-1 July 2022 on our website at GPonline.com.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     RCGP Fit for the Future document

●     RCGP guidance on long-term conditions and pandemic recovery in primary care

●     RCGP warns 19,000 GPs could quit in 'mass exodus' over next five years

●     What solutions to the GP crisis has the RCGP proposed?

●     Professor Martin Marshall: In my 30 years as a GP the job has never been so tough

●     Coverage from the RCGP conference (available from 29 June)

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This week the team discusses what’s been happening at the BMA’s annual representative meeting this week, including a vote that could determine the future of primary care networks, talk of pay increases and the latest on stamping out sexism in the BMA.

They talk about the GMC reversing a decision to suspend GP Dr Manjula Arora for one month after she said she was promised a laptop by her employers. And they look at the RCGP’s new campaign that sets out the steps the college thinks are needed to address the workload and workforce crisis in general practice, as well as the college’s plan for embedding relationship-based care in GP practices.

Finally, there’s some good news on a community transport service for GP practices in west London.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Doctors tell BMA to pull GP practices out of PCNs by 2023

●     BMA to demand significant pay rises to combat 15 years of real-term cuts

●     Only 55% of Romney review recommendations on BMA sexism fully implemented

●     What solutions to the GP crisis has the RCGP proposed?

●     GP access debate must shift to emphasise quality as well as speed, warns RCGP

●     RCGP relationship-based care document

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This week Emma speaks to practice managers Jo Wadey and Nicola Davies who are also directors of the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM).

They discuss how and why they set up the IGPM, the institute’s new scheme for accreditation of practice managers and their views about practice managers being excluded from NHS England’s new to partnership scheme.

Jo and Nicola also talk about the importance of good practice management and how the role has changed in recent years, concerns about the number of practice managers leaving the profession and how increased aggressive behaviour from patients has affected practice staff.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     IGPM information on practice management accreditation

●     IGPM webinar introducing accreditation (on YouTube)

●     New accreditation programme for practice managers (on GPonline)

●     Campaign launched to tackle 'daily abuse' of GP practice staff (on GPonline)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our fortnightly news review, the team discusses some numbers that Nick’s crunched looking at GP partners across England and which areas are losing partners fastest, as well as some predictions about workforce figures from the Health Foundation

They also talk about latest developments on visa problems facing international medical graduates coming out of GP training, the latest health and social care committee hearing on the future of general practice and explain some PCN concerns about recruiting under the additional roles reimbursement scheme.

And there’s some good news about an award for the NHS in all four UK countries.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Which parts of England are losing GP partners fastest?

●     Government has no plans to scrap GP partnership model, DHSC official tells MPs

●     New primary care minister says general practice is not in crisis

●     RCGP demands 'a job and a future' in the NHS for all IMG GP trainees

●     PCNs 'frightened' to recruit as ARRS delays create six-figure cash shortfall

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This week Emma speaks with Dr Gemma Wilkinson, a GP in Nottingham and clinical lead for the Nottinghamshire GP Phoenix Programme, a workforce support organisation affiliated to Nottinghamshire LMC.

The GP Phoenix Programme has a range of support programmes that focus on GP retention at every stage of a doctor’s career – from GP training, to newly-qualified GPs, through to mid-career and also those doctors approaching retirement.

In this conversation Gemma explains the steps the GP Phoenix Programme is taking to improve retention, what other areas can learn from their initiatives and what more needs to be done to stop GPs leaving the profession early.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

This summer

Talking General Practice is taking a break for the summer. During August we will be putting out some of the interviews from the first series of the podcast as stand alone episodes for those of you who may have missed those or started listening to the podcast more recently. They cover some really interesting and important topics, which we think are worth showcasing again.

We’ll be back for series 3 on 9 September. 

Useful links

• GP Phoenix Programme induction materials
• Information for practice managers on employing a new to practice fellow - from the GP Phoenix Programme. And video explaining the same.
• Phoenix GP - a national career development and leadership programme for mid career GPs

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Throughout August we’re bringing you some of the best interviews from series one of the podcast.

This week, Emma is talking to GP Dr Amy Small about living with long COVID in an interview that was recorded in November 2021.

Amy caught Covid right at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and went on to develop long COVID. In this conversation she explains how long COVID has affected her life, her family, and her job as a GP - and what she thinks needs to be done to improve services and support for other people affected by the condition.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Series 3 of Talking General Practice begins on 9 September.

Useful links

How widespread is long COVID in the UK?

Our sister site MIMS Learning has the following learning resources on long COVID

●     Long COVID - tips for primary care - an on-demand webinar

●     Long COVID and pain management - an on-demand webinar

●     Guidance update: Long COVID assessment and management

●     Neurological aspects of long COVID - an on-demand webinar

A link to the book Dr Amy Small mentions (Amazon) Classic Pacing for a Better Life with ME

Top tips: managing long COVID

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Throughout August we’re showcasing some of the best interviews from series one of the podcast.

This week Emma is talking to GP and menopause expert Dr Louise Newson, in an interview that was recorded in September 2021.

Louise discusses how we can improve menopause care and education for doctors and other health professionals. She also explains how her career led her to becoming one of the UK’s most recognisable experts on the menopause and the new charity - The Menopause Charity - which she launched in 2021.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Series 3 of Talking General Practice begins on 9 September.

Useful links

Confidence in the Menopause (free training for healthcare professionals)

The Menopause Charity

Practical advice for GPs on prescribing HRT - an article by Dr Louise Newson and Dr Olivia Jones on GPonline

Our sister site MIMS Learning has the following learning modules on the menopause:

●     Genitourinary syndrome of menopause

●     NICE guidelines on the menopause - by Dr Louise Newson and Dr Rebecca Lewis

●     Menopause and migraine - by Dr Louise Newson

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Throughout August we’re showcasing some of the best interviews from series one of the podcast.

This week Emma speaks with Dr Carey Lunan, a GP in Edinburgh and chair of the Deep End GP Group in Scotland, and Dr David Blane a GP in Glasgow and clinical research fellow in General Practice, University of Glasgow, who is the academic lead of the Deep End GP Group, in an interview that was recorded in August 2021.

The Deep End Group covers the 100 most deprived practices in Scotland and the discussion highlights what the group is doing to tackle health inequalities, the impact of COVID-19 and what other practices can learn from their work.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Series 3 of Talking General Practice begins on 9 September.

Useful links

MIMS Learning free health inequalities webinar featuring Dr Carey Lunan https://www.mimslearning.co.uk/courses/health-inequalities-in-primary-care

The Deep End Project https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/healthwellbeing/research/generalpractice/deepend/

Fair Health https://fairhealth.org.uk/

GP funding formula 'needs reworking' to target inequalities, warns RCGP

Government's slow COVID-19 response worsened health inequalities, warns BMA

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Throughout August we’ve been showcasing some of the best interviews from series one of the podcast.

This week Emma talks to Dr Rebecca Rosen, a GP in London and senior fellow at health think tank the Nuffield Trust, about continuity of care, the evidence to support it and steps practices can take to embed continuity of care in the way they work. This interview was recorded in October 2021.

Since this was recorded we’ve written quite a lot about continuity of care on GPonline. The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee is currently running an inquiry into the future of general practice and the benefits of continuity of care and what the NHS can do to promote continuity have been one of its themes. Dr Rosen gave evidence to the committee about the work she’s done in her practice.

The RCGP has also stepped up efforts to promote what it calls relationship-based care and highlight its importance in general practice. The college has produced a new report looking at what’s needed to help practices deliver relationship-based care and continuity (link below).

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Series 3 of Talking General Practice begins on 9 September.

Useful links

RCGP work on relationship-based care

GP crisis endangering continuity and quality of patient care, warns RCGP chair

GP access debate must shift to emphasise quality as well as speed, warns RCGP

Improving access and continuity in general practice - a 2018 Nuffield Trust report

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Our regular news review is back. This week Emma and Nick talk about soaring energy costs and rising inflation and the impact these could have on GP practices

They also look at what new prime minister Liz Truss and new health and social care secretary Therese Coffey could mean for general practice – and whether the government could prevent a possible crisis in the health service this winter.

And in our regular good news spot they highlight an initiative from a group of GP trainees that puts forward a blueprint for tackling the crisis in general practice.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Practices could cut staff, stop COVID-19 jabs or hand back contracts as energy bills rocket

●     GP practices 'being mugged' as profits set to slump by a third

●     What does a Liz Truss premiership mean for general practice?

●     Therese Coffey rules out GP visit fees and promises to 'stand up for patients' on access

●     Nine in ten GPs fear their practice will struggle to cope this winter

●     GP trainees set out vision to lift general practice from crisis

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This week Emma speaks with Dr Veronica Grant, a GP in Derbyshire who was until recently the RCGP clinical champion for veterans health, about the healthcare needs of veterans and steps practices can take to better support veterans and military families.

This is an interview that was recorded in November 2021.

Since we recorded our last podcast we have seen the very sad news about the death of Queen Elizabeth.

As the former head of the armed forces, the Queen is of particular significance to those who are members of the services and veterans.

NHS England this week wrote to NHS services and highlighted that the death of the Queen had the potential to trigger mental health issues within the armed forces community. NHS England asked services to familiarise themselves with referral pathways to Op COURAGE, the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service that is available across England for serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists and veterans.

At GPonline we thought it would be particularly useful for those in primary care to hear our interview with Veronica again in light of this. As well as talking about how GPs and practices can support veterans and military families, Veronica also explains a bit more about Op COURAGE and how the service works.

Useful links

●     RCGP veterans’ healthcare toolkit learning

●     Veteran friendly practice accreditation

●     Information about Op COURAGE

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This week the team discusses the government’s latest push to improve access in general practice and some of the problems with the plans. They look at a groundbreaking new system that is being piloted in Devon, which will see work paused for practices facing extreme workload pressures. GP leaders have suggested the system could be rolled out nationwide within a year.

And they talk about what plans to cap energy costs could mean for practices and what doctors say the government needs to do to address the workload and workforce crises in general practice.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Practices face two-week access target with 300 fewer GPs than last year

●     Government unveils two-week access target for GP appointments

●     GPs agree groundbreaking system to pause work for practices facing extreme pressure

●     Practices could see energy costs slashed as government unveils business price cap

●     'This job is making us ill': Coffey told 16m patients could lose their GP

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast Emma speaks to Dr Helen Garr, the medical director of NHS Practitioner Health, the NHS service that looks after doctors and dentists - and also other NHS staff - who are experiencing mental ill health.

In this conversation Emma and Helen talk about the impact that pressures on the NHS are having on doctors’ wellbeing and how this is affecting GPs in particular.

Helen also explains what doctors and other NHS staff can do if they are suffering from burnout, how to prevent burnout, what people can do if they are worried about a colleague and how NHS Practitioner Health supports doctors who seek help from the service.

She also outlines how she thinks the NHS could change to help ensure better mental health for doctors and other staff.

Trigger warning: This episode includes a discussion about suicide and the issue of suicide in the medical profession.

There is lots of practical and useful advice in this conversation, so we’ve included some time stamps below if you want to go back and listen to bits again, or find specific things on your first listen.

●     2.07 Helen explains the increase in the number of GPs coming to NHS Practitioner Health and the conditions they are presenting with.

●     4.41 Helen discusses suicide in doctors and explains why doctors are at higher risk of suicide.

●     11.12 The impact of a doctor’s suicide on colleagues and what people should do if they are concerned about a colleague’s mental health.

●     15.16 Steps practices can take to make the working environment more supportive.

●     17.55 Warning signs of burnout.

●     21.36 What to do if you are burnt out.

●     24.55 What can you do to prevent burn out.

●     30.10 How the NHS needs to change to better support doctors and staff.

●     33.37 What happens when a doctor contacts NHS Practitioner Health and how the service can help.

●     39.11 How staff other than doctors can access NHS Practitioner Health.

Useful resources

●     NHS Practitioner Health

●     Looking After You Too (NHS England’s free coaching programme for primary care staff)

●     Where can GPs get help and support if they are struggling to cope? (Free access article on GPonline that contains a list of all organisations that offer support to doctors experiencing mental ill health)

●     Wellbeing and Coping (website Helen refers to in the interview as ‘wellbeing and doing’)

●     GPs tell how coaching helped them manage practices during COVID-19 (article on GPonline about the Looking After You Too programme)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast Emma and Nick are talking about some new figures showing there has been a surge in vacant GP posts in London, which has left half of the capital’s practices operating with fewer doctors than they need when demand is at an all time high.

They also discuss what the RCGP believes needs to happen to boost GP retention and what the latest NHS appointments data tells us about levels of workload in general practice in England. Plus they look at NHS England’s plans to help boost capacity this winter and the BMA’s decision to ballot junior doctors on industrial action.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     London faces growing GP workforce gap as workload continues to soar

●     Government must take 'urgent action' on GP retention, says RCGP

●     GP workload far beyond pre-pandemic level as winter pressure looms

●     Coffey targets rapid GP access over face-to-face appointments

●     NHS sets out priorities for extra GP funding this winter

●     PCN contract overhaul defers two-week appointment target until April 2023

●     Junior doctors to be balloted on industrial action in early January

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emma is speaking to Dr Devina Maru and Dr Liam Loftus who are both GP trainees and co-founders of The BIg GP Consultation.

Devina and Liam set up The Big GP Consultation as a platform for GP trainees and early career GPs to discuss their vision for general practice – and to come up with ideas and solutions for how to address some of the many challenges facing the profession both now and in the future.

In this interview they explain why they set up the initiative, changes they would like to see to GP training and general practice, how new GPs could be better supported and how they’re hoping to get more engagement with the project to ensure the ideas that they have come up with become a reality.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     The Big GP Consultation website

●     The Big GP Consultation can be found on Twitter @BigGPConsult

●     GP trainees set out vision to lift general practice from crisis

●     What does a positive future for general practice look like – a view from the next generation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast Nick and Emma look at the final report from the House of Commons Health and Social Care committee’s investigation into the future of general practice and explain its findings and key recommendations. They also discuss the former chair of that committee – Jeremy Hunt’s – appointment as chancellor.

Emma highlights a really important interview from GPonline with Chris Milligan, the husband of GP Dr Gail Milligan who took her own life earlier this year.

They also talk about recommendations from the GMC that could increase the number of doctors that are able to work in general practice, and the RCGP’s latest push to get the Home Office to resolve the visa problems affecting international medical graduate GP trainees.

Finally, there’s a good news story about a GP from Glasgow who has written a book with his three young daughters to help educate children about the human body and raise money for local charities.

This episode was presented by GPonline’s editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     My GP wife worked herself to death – something needs to change

●     Where can GPs access help and support if they are struggling to cope?

●     General practice is 'systemically toxic', MPs warn in devastating report on GP crisis

●     GMC backs overhaul to widen pool of doctors able to work in primary care

●     Over 4,300 GPs sign RCGP letter calling on Home Office to resolve IMG visa problems

Scottish GP writes children's anatomy book in collaboration with his three daughters

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma is joined by a very special guest Professor Sir David Haslam to discuss his new book Side Effects: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way and How We Fix It.

Along with being a GP for over 35 years Sir David has held a number of senior posts including being both chair and president of the Royal College of GPs, president of the BMA and chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a post he held from 2013 to 2019.

His new book explores what good healthcare should achieve and how we can create a system that is affordable, fair and provides good quality care.

This interview looks at some of the really important themes raised in the book, including why the cost of healthcare will always continue to rise, why we need to better value primary care and public health, tackling health inequalities, over-medicalisation and whether we have our priorities right when it comes to end-of-life care.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Side Effects: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way and How We Fix It on Amazon

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On our regular news round-up Emma and Nick look at the review into how the GMC handled the case of Dr Manjula Arora – the GP who served a month’s suspension over a claim she had been promised a laptop – and the GMC’s response to the findings.

They talk about what’s going on with patient access to their prospective records online after a week of confusion that’s seen the 1 November deadline when IT suppliers were due to turn on this functionality for all of their practices missed.

And they look at reimbursement for locum GPs to cover sick leave, and why a huge gap between the level of reimbursement practices receive and the actual cost of locum cover means GP partners with burnout are being forced to consider returning to their job before they feel ready.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Get involved

We are always keen to highlight positive news and the good work that is going on in general practice on both the podcast and GPonline.com. If you are up to anything in your practice or working life that you think deserves attention - or you would like to give a shout out to an individual, practice or other organisation or group that you think is making a real difference to patient care or your local community, then please do get in touch. Email us at gppodcast@haymarket.com.

Useful links

●     GMC missed 'multiple opportunities' to stop GP's needless suspension

●     Arora laptop case must become GMC 'never event', warns doctor leading official review

●     Practices handed temporary opt-out deadline for patient access to records

●     Financial trap could force GP partners to work through burnout

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast we’re looking at personalised care and health coaching and how they could help practices and PCNs to improve health outcomes and population health in their patch.

Emma is talking to Sheffield GP Dr Ollie Hart, who is also clinical director of a primary care network in the city.

Ollie has been heavily involved in promoting and developing patient-centred care in Sheffield. In partnership with another GP he also runs a business called Peak Health Coaching, which trains healthcare professionals in coaching and person-centred care and is one of the Personalised Care Institute’s approved training providers.

During this conversation Ollie explains:

●     What personalised care is

●     What patient activation is and how to understand patient activation measures

●     How coaching can help patients

●     The benefits of patient-centred care for GPs

●     Using coaching as part of a multidisciplinary team

Ollie is a global health and wellbeing ambassador for parkrun so he also explains the benefits of becoming a ‘parkrun practice’.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Personalised Care Institute

●     Ollie’s company Peak Health Coaching

●     How shared decision making can help GPs better meet patients' needs

●     Becoming a parkrun practice

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This week Emma speaks to new RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne. Professor Hawthorne takes over as college chair from Professor Martin Marshall this week – on 19 November – so this is one of her first interviews in the role.

Professor Hawthorne has been a GP for 34 years and practises in South Wales. She is a professor and head of graduate entry medicine at the University of Swansea - a role she has been seconded from for her three-year term as RCGP chair - and also a Bevan commissioner.

She has been heavily involved with the college for many years and was vice chair from 2015 to 2018 when she was responsible for professional development.

During this conversation Professor Hawthorne explains why she decided to become a GP, what her key priorities will be in her first year as chair in her first year in the post and what she hopes to achieve over her full three-year term.

With a background in medical education she also talks about how she feels medical education needs to change to develop the doctors of the future, one of her research areas of interest - health inequalities - and whether she feels positive about the future of the profession.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Home Office to look at 'umbrella bodies' sponsoring IMG GPs to remain in UK

Royal College of GPs website

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In our regular news review Emma and Nick look at what the BMA, GPs and NHS England might want from a new contract deal in England.

The current five-year deal comes to an end in March 2024, and this week English LMCs will be gathering in London to set out a vision for what they want the BMA to push for in upcoming contract negotiations that will decide what happens next.

Emma and Nick look at what we already know about the BMA’s priorities for negotiations, some of the other things LMCs will be discussing, including options of last resort if a contract agreement can’t be reached, and what could happen around primary care networks.

Elsewhere they also look at what has been up for debate at the separate England LMCs conference that took place on Thursday - including motions around the GP workforce, safety in general practice and the impact of integrated care systems.

And they talk about the latest general practice appointment data for England published this week, which for the first time will include details of appointments at individual practices.

Finally, there’s some good news about fruit and veg in London.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

• Full coverage of England LMCs conference 2022
• How practice-level appointments data threatens unfair pressure on GPs
• Would a GP contract based on item of service payments benefit general practice?
• What forms of industrial action could GPs take?
• Doctors tell BMA to pull GP practices out of PCNs by 2023
• How practice-level appointments data threatens unfair pressure on GPs

Good news

We are always keen to highlight positive news and the good work that is going on in general practice. If you are up to anything in your practice or working life that you think deserves attention - or you would like to give a shout out to an individual, practice or other organisation that is making a difference to patient care or your local community, then do get in touch. You can email us at gppodcast@haymarket.com.

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This week Emma speaks to Professor Aruna Garcea, a GP partner and primary care network clinical director in Leicester. Aruna is chair of the NHS Confederation’s primary care network advisory group and she also sits on her integrated care system as a representative clinical director.

In this conversation Aruna explains the impact PCNs have had already, what makes a strong PCN and some of the key challenges networks have faced. We also talk about the introduction of integrated care systems and what these could mean for PCNs and practices as well as how PCNs can work effectively to support GP practices.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GPs fear funding cuts and sidelining of LMCs as ICS model beds in

●     GP expansion hamstrung by outdated premises, warn primary care leaders

●     PCNs should evolve into 'integrated neighbourhood teams', says Fuller review

●     What does the Fuller stocktake mean for general practice in England?

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Emma speaks to Dr Ellen Fallows a GP in Northamptonshire and vice president of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine about what lifestyle medicine is and how it can help GPs to improve patient outcomes.

During this conversation Ellen explains how GPs can make use of lifestyle medicine in a 10-minute consultation, some of the evidence that supports the use of this approach to help improve outcomes for patients and how lifestyle medicine can help GPs tackle health inequalities.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     British Society of Lifestyle Medicine

●     How lifestyle medicine can help GPs tackle health inequalities

●     Diabetes DIRECT trial

●     The Food Mood Centre in Australia, Ellen mentions some research coming out from here during the interview

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This week the team looks at record levels of drug shortages, the latest on group A strep and how it is affecting GPs and their teams and talk about the GP workforce in the most deprived parts of England.

They also discuss why many practices are facing a precarious future because of the lack of GP partners and how inflation and the cost of living crisis is affecting GP practices – and there’s a good news story on long COVID.

Talking General Practice will be back in January 2023. Merry Christmas and happy new year from the team.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     MIMS drug shortages tracker

●     NHS England and UKHSA guidance on group A strep in children

●     Shortage protocol for antibiotics imminent as penicillin prescriptions soar

●     Nine in 10 GPs say cost-of-living crisis has destabilised practice finances

●     NHS bosses ask GPs to cover for striking ambulance workers

●     Drug shortages hit new peak and add to pressure on GP practices

●     Study on pacing and long COVID

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With the NHS facing unprecedented pressure and horrendous stories emerging about the impact this has had on both patients and staff, we look at what the crisis means for general practice, what representative organisations want the government to do and what steps might need to be taken to help GP practices cope.

We also discuss industrial action - in particular the BMA ballot of junior doctors, which gets underway on Monday 9 January - and we look at the latest GP workforce data and some results from our recent survey that highlight how hard GPs had to work during 2022.

In our good news section we highlight the GPs – and an advanced nurse practitioner – who received awards in the New Year Honours.

Your good news stories

Things are really tough in general practice, but we are always keen to highlight positive news and the good work that is going on in primary care on both the podcast and GPonline.com.

If you are up to anything in your practice or working life that you think deserves attention - or you would like to give a shout out to an individual, practice or other organisation or group that you think is making a real difference, then please do get in touch. You can email us at gppodcast@haymarket.com.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Sunak urged to recall parliament as 'broken NHS' leaves GPs driving patients to hospital

●     NHS under 'intolerable' pressure as flu, COVID-19 and strep A deepen crisis

●     Most GPs exceed safe limit for appointments every working day, poll reveals

●     Decline in GP workforce accelerates as workload continues to surge

●     GPs among those recognised in New Year Honours

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Kent GP Dr Chris Newman is one of the co-founders of Doctors for Extinction Rebellion, a group of healthcare professionals that campaigns for action on climate change. As part of his involvement in the group Chris has taken part in direct action and last year was arrested and charged under public order laws following a protest in central London.

In this conversation Emma talks to Chris about why he set up Doctors for Extinction Rebellion - which is in the process of changing its name to Health for Extinction Rebellion - and his experience of being arrested and appearing in court on charges.

Chris also explains why education on climate change for all NHS staff is so important and his own push to educate people in his community about the importance of taking steps to address climate change - however small.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful resources

●     Doctors for Extinction Rebellion

●     The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change

●     UN Climate Change reports

●     Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

●     Climate FRESK

●     Take the Jump

Other useful information from GPonline

●     Five steps to sustainable primary care

●     GP practices can be 'more ambitious' on tackling climate change

●     5 ways GPs can help patients affected by air pollution

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Emma and Nick talk about Labour’s plans for the NHS and general practice more specifically, which have not gone down well with a lot of GPs.

They also discuss plans to speed up patient discharges from hospitals and what this could mean for general practice as well as the RCGP’s new exam for GP trainees, which could be in place by the end of 2023.

Our good news story this week takes a look at the latest data from England’s Friends and Family Test.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GPs hit out at 'misguided' Labour plans for self-referral and practice reform

●     GP partnerships are the most cost-effective part of the NHS, GPs tell Labour

●     Vast majority of patients report positive GP experience despite soaring pressure

●     New GP exam to replace RCA by end of 2023, says RCGP

●     Patients being discharged too early in rush to free up hospital beds, GPs warn

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The BMA is currently balloting junior doctor members on whether to take industrial action, which could see them stage a three-day walkout in March.

This week Emma speaks to chair of the BMA’s GP trainee committee Dr David Smith about why junior doctors have reached this point.

David explains why the BMA is pushing for full pay restoration for junior doctors and the impact that falling levels of pay have had on the profession.

He also talks about how the current ballot works and what happens if it is successful, what GP trainees need to know about taking industrial action and how GPs can support their junior doctors if they do go on strike.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     BMA junior doctor guide to strike action

●     Pay restoration for junior doctors - full details of the industrial action ballot and other information relating to the pay restoration campaign from the BMA

●     Donate to the BMA’s strike fund here

Related stories on GPonline

●     BMA urges junior doctors to back strikes after health secretary meeting

●     Junior doctors struggling to pay bills as poll reveals impact of 26% real-terms pay cut

●     GPs back junior doctors over industrial action

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GPonline launched its new GP Insight data tool this week and our first project is a GP workforce tracker. On the podcast this week Nick and Emma look at some of the data in the tracker and what this tells us about the GP workforce in different parts of England.

They also talk about a recently published study that highlights the impact that poor GP retention has on patients and the wider NHS and discuss the government’s latest plans for the NHS and what’s going on with the current wave of strikes.

Finally, our senior reporter Ellie joins us to tell us about a good news story involving a long-serving GP who overcame a severe COVID infection and inspired a local folk band to write a song about him.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Ellie Philpotts. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GP Insight Workforce Tracker

●     Introducing GP Insight

●     GPs care for up to 800 more patients each in underdoctored areas

●     Where in England are patients per GP rising fastest?

●     GP partners in decline in almost every part of England

●     Professor Kamila Hawthorne: General practice is at breaking point – the government must act

●     Doctor Boro': GP who survived COVID-19 inspires folk song

●     Doctor Boro’ on YouTube

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Emma speaks to NHS England’s director of healthcare inequalities and Midlands GP Professor Bola Owolabi about how to reduce inequity in healthcare.

Bola talks about how she became interested in health inequalities, her vision for tackling inequity and she makes the economic argument for why we must address health disparities.

Bola also explains NHS England’s CORE20PLUS5 approach to tackling inequalities, how this provides a framework for primary care networks to focus their efforts when it comes to improving population health, and why she believes this could ultimately make a big difference to patients and communities.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     CORE20PLUS5 for adults

●     CORE20PLUS5 for children

●     CORE20PLUS5 e-learning for health modules

●     The RCGP’s health inequalities hub

Evidence for NHS England’s five clinical priorities

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In our fortnightly news review the team looks at what we know about GP contract negotiations in England for 2023/24 after the BMA rejected NHS England’s ‘insulting’ offer.

They discuss an integrated care board’s plans to commission all GP enhanced services via primary care networks and what the wider implications of this could be. And they talk about the findings of the GMC’s latest review on bias in its processes.

The good news story for this week is about a community in Cornwall that is going to extra lengths to find a new GP to join their local practice.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Eleanor Philpotts. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GPs reject 'insulting' contract as BMA issues stark warning over 'death of general practice'

●     NHS backs 2.1% salaried GP pay rise from April as contract talks continue

●     ICB draft contract spells out plan to move enhanced services worth millions away from practices

●     GPs don't believe integrated care systems will improve patient care

●     Cornish community creates music video in bid to recruit new GP

●     Link to Ain’t Got No Doctor

●     Lostwithiel Needs A Doctor website

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Emma speaks to Dr Rowena Christmas, chair of RCGP Wales and a GP in the Wye Valley on the Welsh/English border.

Rowena has been heavily involved in the college’s work over the past couple of years on relationship-based care - or continuity of care - and in this conversation she explains why she feels this is so important and how GPs and practices can embed this in the way that they work.

She also talks about recruitment and retention of GPs and what’s happening in Wales, the impact recent NHS pressures have had on GPs and her priorities over the next two years as chair of the college in Wales.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

·      GP access debate must shift to emphasise quality as well as speed, warns RCGP

·      The RCGP's report on relationship-based care

·      RCGP Wales

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This week the team talks about ongoing GP contract negotiations in England for next year and asks whether the contract for 2023/24 could be imposed.

They discuss a rise in partnership and PCN disputes and what might be behind this trend as well as the latest on this month’s junior doctor strikes.

They also look at the government’s record on the NHS, including how it’s handling the care backlog and discuss GP workforce statistics after they passed a pretty grim milestone last month.

Our good news story this week is about a local patient campaign that’s forced an integrated care board to U-turn on its plans for a large provider to take over a small practice in Lancashire.

Produced by Czarina Deen

Useful links

●     GP contract could overhaul funding frameworks worth £2.5bn a year

●     NHS 'in full-blown crisis' as recovery plan falls short, MPs warn

●     'Grim milestone' passed in steady decline of GP workforce

●     Why GP trainees will join junior doctor strikes in their thousands

●     Victory for campaign to save local GP after ICB U-turn on practice takeover

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Emma speaks to Ben Gowland, director and founder of think tank and consultancy Ockham Healthcare and host of the General Practice Podcast.

Ben does a lot of work with primary care networks (PCNs) across England and in this conversation we look at what the future holds for PCNs as we enter the final year of the five-year GP contract that led to their introduction in 2019.

Ben explains why he thinks it's so important that practices engage with their PCN and the opportunities he believes PCNs provides practices. We also talk about what integrated care systems and the Fuller report could mean for PCNs and why it's important for general practices to work together to have the biggest possible influence in their local area.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Ockham Healthcare

●     General Practice Podcast

●     ICB draft contract spells out plan to move enhanced services worth millions away from practices

●     GP crisis driving rise in partnership and PCN disputes

●     Top 10 challenges facing PCN clinical directors

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This week Emma and Nick are talking about the GP contract changes in England for 2023/24, which have been imposed on practices for the second year in a row after the government and the BMA failed to reach an agreement. They look at what the changes are, the implications for general practice and what could happen next.

They also discuss this week’s unprecedented junior doctors’ strike, and speak to doctors who were out on the picket lines, and they look at what this week’s Budget means for doctors’ pensions and the NHS as a whole.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     What is changing in the GP contract for 2023/24?

●     Imposed contract threatens 'irreparable' damage to general practice

●     'Whack-a-mole' access targets will force GPs to bring in waiting lists for appointments

●     QOF could be 'streamlined' from 2024 onwards, NHS England says

●     'Industrial action is the only option': GPs urge BMA to move fast

●     'Big win' for retention of doctors as Budget overhauls punitive pension tax rules

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Warning: This episode contains discussions about death and suicide

In a special episode Emma looks at the issue of assisted dying and asks whether it should be legalised - and if it was, how could it work?

Later this year a bill will be introduced to the Scottish parliament that could see assisted dying legalised. In England the House of Commons health and social care committee is running an inquiry on the issue.

The Scottish bill is being put forward by Lib Dem member of Scottish parliament Liam McArthur. This is the third attempt to legalise assisted dying in Scotland since 1999, so could the law change this time?

Emma speaks to Scottish GPs on both sides of the debate about assisted dying.

She talks to Liam McArthur about why he is introducing the bill and its chances of success - and to GP Dr Sandesh Gulhane, a Conservative member of Scottish parliament who chaired a medical advisory group that produced a report on how assisted dying should work.

She also meets Dr Catherine Forest, a family doctor from California where assisted dying has been legal since 2016. Dr Forest was involved with work that helped pave the way for legalising assisted dying and and now supports patients and their families through the process of assisted dying. She also speaks very movingly about her husband Will, who chose an assisted death in 2021.

And we look at what a change of law could mean from patients’ point of view by talking to Jackie Roberts, who lives in Edinburgh and has incurable breast cancer, and Professor Kevin Yuill, a representative from Not Dead Yet, a group of disability activists that campaigns against assisted dying.

This episode was produced by Czarina Deen.

Sources

• Proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill
• Medical Advisory Group Report on the assisted dying bill
• Proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill - summary of consultation responses
• YouGov survey on assisted dying
• BMA survey of members on assisted dying from February 2020
• RCGP rejects change in stance on assisted dying - from GPonline
• Regional Euthanasia Review Committee from the Netherlands annual reports - showing the proportion of people who died by euthanasia.
• Dignitas report showing accompanied suicides per year and country of residence
• Third annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada 2021
• Oregon Death with Dignity Act 2021 data summary
• Dignity in Dying’s Last Resort report
• ONS suicide report
• Are Canadians being driven to assisted suicide by poverty or healthcare crisis? The Guardian
• Cost estimates for Medical Assistance in Dying

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This week the team looks at whether GPs will be prepared to take industrial action following the imposition of a contract for the second year in a row – and what action the profession could be balloted on taking in the coming months.

They discuss the results of the latest annual British Social Attitudes survey, which assesses public satisfaction with the NHS.

And, as junior doctors step up pressure on the government to improve their pay by announcing a four-day strike, they talk about what this could mean for the NHS, as well as what is happening with the pay offer for other NHS staff.

Finally there’s some good news on COVID vaccination and long COVID.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, who is joined by our news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Eleanor Philpotts. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     BMA ballot could trigger nationwide shut down of GP practices for 24 hours

●     Treasury set to claw back millions from general practice despite soaring costs

●     Vast majority of GPs ready for industrial action, LMC poll suggests

●     GP Insight workforce tracker

●     'Wake-up call' for government as NHS and GP satisfaction hit all-time low

●     Vaccination halves risk of developing long COVID, study finds

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In a special news episode of the podcast the team looks at the findings of an independent review of integrated care systems, which was commissioned by the government and led by former Labour health secretary Patricia Hewitt. 

The final report from the review was published this week and Emma and Nick look at what it had to say about primary care – including some recommendations that could see a major change to GP contracts – and what it could mean for general practice in the future. They also look at some of the wider findings about changes that need to happen to help improve outcomes and patient care.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

• GP contract 'a barrier to innovation' and needs major overhaul, says Hewitt review
• Struggling GP practices should be 'bought out' and replaced, says Hewitt review
• Companies could 'strong-arm' GPs into selling practices under Hewitt plan, warns BMA
• Hewitt Review: an independent review of integrated care systems

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This week Emma talks to Jake Beech, from health think tank the Health Foundation. Jake co-authored a report published last month, which analysed the findings of the latest Commonwealth Fund survey of 10,000 GPs in 10 high income countries.

In this conversation Jake explains how general practice in the UK compares with other countries on issues such as job satisfaction, workload, personal wellbeing of GPs, how care is delivered and how general practice works with other services. He also discusses some of the wider implications of the survey’s findings.

Useful links

The Health Foundation’s report Stressed and overworked. What the Commonwealth Fund’s 2022 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians in 10 Countries means for the UK can be found here.

Extreme pressure leaves UK GPs among most stressed and least satisfied

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Emma speaks to GP Dr Aisha Awan who is director of REACHE North West - the Refugee and Asylum Seekers Centre for Healthcare Professionals Education.

REACHE has helped hundreds of healthcare professionals to return to clinical roles in the NHS after being forced to flee their own country.

In this conversation Aisha explains how REACHE supports these clinicians to become registered in the UK, why this work is so important and some of the challenges that healthcare professionals who are refugees or asylum seekers face during this process. She also shares some inspiring stories of some of the doctors REACHE has supported in recent years.

For more information on the programme visit REACHE North West

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This week the team looks at Labour’s plans for how it will reform primary care if it wins the next general election.

They talk about a report on retention of staff in general practice by Londonwide LMCs and how staff shortages are threatening the future of practices. And they discuss what impact an ageing population is having on workload in general practice.

Finally our good news story this week is about diabetes.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Eleanor Philpotts. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Labour rules out nationalising practices but says GP model 'in decline'

●     Government failure to publish NHS workforce plan ‘unforgiveable’, says Labour

●     NHS GP role 'untenable for significant majority', warns LMC

●     How an ageing population is piling pressure on general practice

●     NHS low calorie diet for type 2 diabetes to extend across England

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Emma speaks to specialist medical accountant Laurence Slavin, the senior partner at Ramsay Brown chartered accountants, which specialises in the finances of GPs and practices.

In this conversation Laurence explains how rising inflation has affected practices, the financial implications of the 2023/24 GP contract and why he thinks the government’s plan to get high-earning GPs to publicly declare their income is a really bad idea.

Emma and Laurence also talk about some of the problems GPs are facing with pensions, including some of the challenges when dealing with Primary Care Support England.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Ramsay Brown

●     GP Business

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This week the team looks at the government and NHS England’s joint recovery plan for access to primary care, as well as changes to the GP contract around patient access that come into effect next week. They discuss what this all means for practices and patients and whether it will actually make a difference.

They also discuss whether the BMA is likely to ballot GPs on taking industrial action following this year’s contract imposition - and what GPs on the ground think about this.

Finally our good news story is about patient campaigns to save local GP surgeries.

This episode was presented by GPonline’s editor Emma Bower, news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Eleanor Philpotts. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GP access recovery plan - key points

●     Four-month visa extension for newly-qualified IMG GPs as training places to expand

●     Primary care role for SAS doctors 'not viable', BMA paper warns

●     Access overhaul will swamp practices and trap patients in loop with 111, GPs fear

●     GP leaders in contract talks with government after industrial action vote

●     LMCs debate salaried GP workload cap and debt cancellation for trainees

●     Patients across the UK are campaigning to save local GP services

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Emma speaks to Dr Elaine Lockhart, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Children and Young People’s Faculty and a consultant with the learning disability child and adolescent mental health service in Glasgow.

In this conversation Elaine explains some of the problems that children and young people of different ages may present with, and what the possible long-term consequences of the pandemic could be.

She also discusses the shortage of specialist services, which result in long waits for children needing support, and what this means for GPs and primary care, as well as what needs to happen in both the shorter and longer term to address this problem. And she talks about the impact social media can have on children and young people’s wellbeing.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

·      Royal College of Psychiatrists children and young people’s faculty

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The team talks about safe working limits and the number of GPs we need in England to ensure doctors are working within those safe levels. They discuss some of the key debates from the UK LMCs conference that took place last week, including full GP pay restoration and whether we should have SAS doctors in general practice. And they look at the state of GP premises.

This week’s good news story is about a primary care transformation project within a PCN that improved patient outcomes, at the same time as delivering cost-savings.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     1 in 5 people in England would be without a GP if practices stuck to 'safe limit'

●     Which ICB areas have the most severe GP shortages?

●     UK LMCs conference 2023: full coverage

●     Junior doctors in England to hold three-day strike in June

●     GPs block drafty windows with tape as four in 10 work in unfit premises

●     Evaluation of the Foundry Healthcare Lewes’ primary care transformation project

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Emma speaks to Dr Matt Harris and GP Dr Connie Junghans Minton about an initiative involving community health and wellbeing workers that has been adopted in Connie’s practice in London and is also being rolled out to practices in other parts of the country.

It is based on a long-running scheme from Brazil, where evidence shows it has made a significant difference in terms of public health measures and health outcomes. Community health and wellbeing workers have already had some impressive results in the short time they have been working in London.

Matt, who is now a clinical senior lecturer in public health medicine at Imperial College London saw the scheme in action first hand when he worked as a GP in Brazil and it was his idea to bring the model to this country.

In this interview, he explains how the scheme works and how it can help GPs. Meanwhile Connie, who is also senior clinical fellow in primary care at Imperial College, discusses how her practice introduced community health and wellbeing workers for some of their most deprived patients and results from the initial pilot.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen

Useful links

Information on the community health and wellbeing worker programme is on the NAPC website here

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This week the GPonline team talks about a call for emergency funding to support general practice across the UK as practices struggle to deal with rising costs – and look at what these financial pressures mean for GP partner income.

They also discuss the state of general practice in Northern Ireland and Scotland after some dire warnings from the BMA in each of those countries.

And look at the latest workforce and appointment data for general practice and the ARRS in England.

In better news, a new blood test for cancer that could help diagnose people much earlier is the podcast’s good news story for this week.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, news editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Eleanor Philpotts. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

GP partner income 'down 15% in a year' as soaring costs hit drawings

One in three GP practices in Northern Ireland faced serious closure risk in past 18 months

One in ten Scottish practices close lists in face of 'unsustainable' pressure

Proportion of GPs aged over 55 rising as workforce shrinks

Is the government right to claim its 26,000 additional roles target has been met?

Blood test for multiple cancers can diagnose two-thirds of cases, study suggests

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Emma speaks to Christiana Melam, the chief executive of the National Association of Link Workers, who explains how social prescribing can help practices and GPs to meet demand and better support their patients.

Christiana explains why it is so important that the NHS looks at changing the way that it works, given that the current model is not meeting the needs of patients, highlighting the key role that social prescribing can play in prevention and addressing health inequalities.

The National Association of Link Workers also trains care navigators and Christiana also talks about what the recent access recovery plan had to say about care navigation and what this means for practices and their reception teams.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     National Association of Link Workers - Education standards

●     National Academy for Social Prescribing - evidence to support the use of social prescribing

●     National Association of Link Workers report - Exploring social prescribing referrals & impact on Information, advice and guidance Services

●     National Association of Link Workers report - The role of PPGs in social prescribing

●     GP mythbuster 106: Primary care first contact practitioners (FCPs) - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)

●     Tailored Primary Care Workforce Development and Wellbeing Packages from NALW

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This week Emma and Nick discuss the government’s long-awaited NHS workforce plan, when it might be published and what general practice will be hoping to see in it.

They look at the results from a recent GPonline about inappropriate transfer of work from secondary to primary care and what needs to be done to address this.

And they talk about a motion up for debate at next month’s BMA annual representative meeting where delegates will call for a no confidence vote in the GMC – as well as some of the other issues relevant to general practice that will be debated at the meeting.

This week’s good news story highlights some of the GPs who received honours in the King’s birthday honours list last weekend.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and news editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deeen.

Useful links

●     'Complex' funding questions holding up NHS workforce plan, Barclay admits

●     Racism is shrinking the NHS workforce, warns former BMA chair

●     GPs call for action on work transfer from hospitals to tackle workload crisis

●     GMC faces 'no confidence' vote at BMA annual meeting

●     Health leaders demand action on five-year-old pledge to strip GMC of appeal powers

●     GPs among those to receive honours in King's birthday list

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Emma speaks to GP and academic Dr Ben Brown from the University of Manchester whose research looks at how AI and machine learning could support healthcare professionals and patients.

Ben is currently involved in developing a new AI system that helps support triage of GP online consultations and was this year’s winner of the Society for Academic Primary Care’s award for outstanding early career research.

Both the government and the Labour Party have touted AI as a possible solution to the NHS’s workforce challenges, arguing it could free up clinicians so they can spend more time with patients. Reports suggest that the long-awaited NHS Workforce plan, which is due to be published imminently, will have a big focus on the role that new technology and AI in particular will play in the NHS over the next 10 years.

In this conversation Ben explains exactly what AI is, how it is being used currently in the NHS and its potential for the future. He also discusses how AI could help GPs and their teams manage their workloads, and what a GP consultation could look like in future, when AI is more established.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

More information on the system Ben is developing called PATCHS

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In this week’s news review, Emma and Nick look at the NHS workforce plan and discuss what it says, what it doesn’t say, and whether it will actually work.

They also talk about some of the debates from this week’s BMA annual representative meeting including a vote of no confidence in the GMC and some other motions of interest. And they look at a BMA report on long COVID in the medical profession and the devastating impact the condition has had on some doctors.

This week’s good news story is about the RCGP at last weekend’s Pride.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     What does the NHS workforce plan mean for general practice?

●     NHS heading for 15,000-GP shortfall as Sunak says retention 'not just about pay'

●     Doctors will 'strike for as long as it takes', warns BMA chair

●     Doctors vote 'no confidence' in GMC and MPTS and demand new leadership

●     Doctors with long COVID left 'penniless' as one in five unable to work

●     RCGP takes part in London's Pride parade

The NHS at 75

●     NHS at 75: A GP's account of the start of the NHS

●     NHS at 75: I dread telling people I'm a GP - we need a government that values us

●     NHS at 75: Primary care-focused 'reboot' can save NHS

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This week Emma is speaking to BMA Wales GP committee chair Dr Gareth Oelmann.

At the end of June BMA Wales launched a new ‘Save Our Surgeries’ campaign, which comes at what the BMA warns is a 'defining moment' for general practice.

The campaign sets out the worrying state of general practice – and calls on the Welsh government to put in place an urgent rescue package. So how can we save general practice?

In this conversation Gareth sets out the challenges facing general practice in Wales, and what the BMA is calling for. He also explains why GP partnerships are worth saving, why the share of NHS funding that goes to general practice needs to increase after well over a decade of serious decline, and upcoming changes to the GP contract in Wales.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     BMA Wales Save our Surgeries campaign

●     Welsh GPs issue 'SOS' call as spiralling crisis threatens patient safety

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Emma and Nick discuss last week’s pay announcement for junior doctors, salaried GPs and consultants and ask what it means for GP practices, the current strikes and the wider NHS.

They also talk about a new national system for reporting pressure in general practice that has been set up to help overwhelmed practices negotiate extra support and look at the results from the latest GP patient survey.

This week’s good news story looks at an initiative in Cumbria that is helping an underdoctored area plug workforce gaps by using a bank of GPs working remotely.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Government to uplift GP contract to cover 6% pay rise for all practice staff

●     BMA rejects 6% pay deal with strikes set to continue

●     First national 'GP alert state' report reveals unsustainable pressure on practices

●     Which areas have the highest patient satisfaction with general practice?

●     GP patient survey suggests satisfaction stabilising after sharp drop last year

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Emma speaks to GP partner Dr Tommy Perkins and specialist medical accountant Andy Pow from Medics Money about GP partnerships and why they are still a good option despite all the doom and gloom out there.

In this conversation Tommy and Andy discuss how partnerships are changing with more non-GPs taking on the role, what to consider if you’re thinking about becoming a partner, how to make partnerships more sustainable in what is a very challenging time, take a quick detour into pensions - with some useful advice for all GPs - and also discuss challenges around premises.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Medics Money new to partnership course

●     The pensions guide mentioned in the episode

●     7 tips to make partnership sustainable in 2023

●     Medics Money podcast

●     Medics Money YouTube video showing how to use PCSE portal mentioned in episode

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Last week the Health Foundation think tank published new research projecting patterns of illness in England over the next two decades. It predicted that by 2040 the number of people with major illness will rise by more than a third, which clearly has huge implications for general practice over the next two decades.

In this episode of Talking General Practice, Emma speaks to Toby Watt, the lead economist at the Health Foundation’s REAL Centre and the lead author of the report setting out the research’s findings.

This conversation highlights what the report had to say about patterns of illness and why more people will be living for longer with a major condition, how this will affect workload in general practice and what it means for the GP workforce, and what the government will have to consider to meet this challenge.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

From GPonline:

●     Practices face massive rise in demand as ageing fuels wave of chronic illness

●     How an ageing population is piling pressure on general practice

Health Foundation reports:

●     Health in 2040: projected patterns of illness in England

●     Projections: General practice workforce in England

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Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer was elected chair of BMA England’s GP committee just over a week ago and she speaks to Talking General Practice in her first interview in her new role.

Dr Bramall-Stainer takes on the top GP job at the BMA in England at a crucial time for the profession. The five-year GP contract comes to an end in April 2024 and this year’s contract negotiations between the BMA, the government and NHS England will hammer out what happens next.

General practice is in the midst of an extreme workload and workforce crisis and the profession will be looking for changes that will go some way to addressing both of these challenges and making a difference to their day to day working lives.

In this conversation Dr Bramall-Stainer discusses what her key priorities will be, weighs up the chances of GPs taking industrial action in the coming months, as well as how GP funding needs to change.

She also talks about her thoughts about the future of the independent contractor model, her experience of publicly calling out sexism at the BMA a couple of years ago and how having MS has shaped how she approaches her role as a GP and a GP leader.

This episode is presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     What are the top priorities for the new BMA GP committee chair?

●     GPs 'despair' as NHS England slashes COVID-19 jab fee

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Emma is joined by a very special guest Professor Sir David Haslam to discuss his book Side Effects: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way and How We Fix It.

Along with being a GP for over 35 years Sir David has held a number of senior posts including being both chair and president of the Royal College of GPs, president of the BMA and chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a post he held from 2013 to 2019.

His book, which was published last year, explores what good healthcare should achieve and how we can create a system that is affordable, fair and provides good quality care.

This interview, which was recorded in October 2022, looks at some of the really important themes raised in the book, including why the cost of healthcare will always continue to rise, why we need to better value primary care and public health, tackling health inequalities, over-medicalisation and whether we have our priorities right when it comes to end-of-life care.

Produced by Czarina Deen

Useful links

●     NHS at 75: Primary care-focused 'reboot' can save NHS

●     Side Effects: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way and How We Fix It on Amazon

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What is a Wise GP? This week Emma speaks to Professor Joanne Reeve and Dr Annabelle Machin about an initiative called Wise GP, which aims to help GPs and other primary care staff deal with the everyday uncertainty and complexity they face in general practice.

They explain the importance of recognising the distinct skills and expertise of general practice and how the programme can help GPs at different stages of their career. They also talk about the resources they have developed to support GPs in their day-to-day practice and how Wise GP could potentially help improve GP retention.

There are links to many of the resources mentioned by Joanne and Annabelle in the podcast below.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

RCGP conference

Joanne and Annabelle are running a session on Wise GP explaining how it could help general practice and GPs tackle some of the challenging issues they face. The conference takes place in Glasgow on 19 and 20 October. You can find more information on this here.

Useful links

Wise GP website

The WISDOM course

Wise GP’s Gems library

Wise GP on X (Twitter)

Wise GP on Facebook

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Our regular news review is back after a short summer break with a packed episode.

Emma and Nick discuss a last-minute U-turn on Covid and flu jabs and look at another controversial plan from the Labour party about how it intends to change general practice if it wins the next general election.

They also discuss how international medical graduates are becoming critical to the GP workforce in some of the most deprived and underdoctored parts of England - and look at whether doctors feel measures set out in the NHS workforce plan will help address the current shortage of GPs.

And they talk about the GMC’s overhaul of its Good Medical Practice guidance.

Meanwhile, our good news story is about GP training.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     GPs offered extra pay under accelerated flu and COVID-19 jab campaign as new variant spreads

●     Labour to strip funding from practices with poor continuity of care

●     Overseas doctors sustain general practice in England's most underdoctored and deprived areas

●     Just 6% of GPs believe the NHS workforce plan will boost GP numbers

●     6% pay increase not enough to retain salaried GPs and other practice staff, GPs warn

●     GMC clamps down on sexual harassment and bullying in Good Medical Practice update

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The GP Trailblazer Deprivation Fellowship Scheme is an NHS England run programme aimed at newly-qualified GPs working in practices in deprived areas. The scheme aims to give GPs the skills to thrive and make a difference in the practices and communities where they work.

The East of England region currently runs one of the largest trailblazer schemes in England. Emma speaks to Dr Rahhiel Riasat, director of leadership development for the East of England and clinical lead for the GP Trailblazer deprivation fellowship scheme in the region, about how the scheme works and how it is supporting local GPs and making a difference to patient care. She also talks to Dr Ahkeb Hussain who is a GP in Luton one of the fellows on this year’s scheme about how it is helping him in practice and what he sees as its benefits.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     East of England GP Trailblazer Deprivation Fellowship Scheme

●     Fairhealth Trailblazer information

●     GP training health equity focused training rotations

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In our news review Nick and Emma discuss GP pay and what’s behind recent headlines in the national press about so-called huge rises in GP income.

They also look at how the growing NHS waiting list and long waits for treatment are affecting patients and driving up workload in general practice, and discuss results from our recent survey which suggest that practices are becoming increasingly reliant on locum GPs.

This week’s good news story is about a significant reduction in people prescribed potentially addictive medicines.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     How has GP income changed over the past two decades?

●     CQC poll shows NHS waiting list driving unsustainable pressure on GPs

●     One in three GP appointments for patients on the NHS waiting list

●     GP practices growing more reliant on locums but many struggle to hire them

●     Where is GP prescribing of dependency-forming drugs falling fastest?

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This week Emma speaks to Dr Ben Allen, a GP partner at Birley Health Centre in Sheffield.

Over the past few years Ben has invested huge amounts of time and effort to make his practice a better place to work. He’s found that by focusing on staff and improving the organisational culture, the practice has seen huge improvements across the board.

Along with having a happier workforce with improved morale and staff retention, the practice has also improved continuity and access and seen patient satisfaction scores rising at a time when nationally they are falling.

Ben explains how his practice managed to achieve all of this and has advice for any GPs or practice managers thinking of embarking on a similar journey.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen. 

Useful links

Follow Ben on X (formerly Twitter)

Ben’s blog

Useful reading

Ben mentions several leadership and organisational change books that he found particularly helpful during this process. These are some his favourites.

●     The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

●     The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

●     Reinventing Organisations by Frédéric Laloux

●     Time to Think by Nancy Kline

●     Start With Why by Simon Sinek

●     Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

●     The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey

●     Good to Great by Jim Collins

●     The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stainer

●     Built to Last by James C Collins and Jerry I Porras

●     Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

●     Radical Candor by Kim Scott

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This week Emma and Nick look at some interesting tenders for GP contracts that have been put out for integrated care boards and what they might tell us about the possible direction of travel for general practice and how GP services could be commissioned in future.

They discuss physician associates and what role they have to play in the NHS after the BMA published a position statement saying it currently opposes government plans to expand their use.

And they talk about how the cost of living crisis is affecting patients and practices after an alarming RCGP survey found that GPs are seeing patients with diseases that should be confined to history including malnutrition and rickets.

This week’s good news story is about a survey from the Rebuild General Practice campaign showing how much the general public values general practice.

This episode was presented by GPonline’s editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     PCN to take on GMS practice contract in landmark move for general practice

●     GP 'engineering' fears as small practice contracts offered on branch-only basis

●     BMA to oppose expansion of physician associate roles amid safety concerns

●     GPs seeing cases of malnutrition and rickets as cost-of-living crisis hits patient health

●     Patients back continuity of care and more GP funding, poll shows

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Emma speaks to London GP and co-chair of Greener Practice, a UK primary care network focused on sustainability, Dr Tamsin Ellis.

Along with her Greener Practice role, Tamsin is also a GP associate at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, an organisation that develops knowledge and resources to help the NHS and other health systems to reach net zero.

In this conversation Tamsin discusses some practical steps that practices and clinicians can take to help tackle the climate crisis, including how sustainability and greener approaches can come into play in patient consultations, and the benefits this can bring to practices, GPs, staff and patients.

She also explains some of the resources Greener Practice and others have to help GPs, why it’s important that general practice engages with sustainability, and how getting involved in this work can make your practice a better place to work and improve staff wellbeing.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

These are some of the organisations and resources that Tamsin mentions during this interview:

●     Greener Practice

●     Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

●     UK Health Alliance on Climate Change

●     Greener Practice asthma toolkit

●     See Sustainability

●     Frome Medical Practice and its work on sustainability

●     Outrage and Optimism podcast

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Talking General Practice speaks to Professor Deborah Christie, professor of paediatric and adolescent psychology and consultant clinical psychologist at University College Hospital London, about stigma in diabetes.

Deborah has published over 200 peer reviewed papers and chapters and a bestselling book called Psychosocial Aspects of Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Families.

She’s also involved with global healthcare company Abbott’s Let’s Change Perspective campaign, which is aiming to confront unconscious bias and reduce stigma around diabetes.

In this conversation Deborah explains what diabetes stigma is and the impact it can have on patients, the role healthcare professionals in primary care can play in reducing stigma and how GPs can effectively communicate with patients to help improve outcomes.

Along with insights from her own experience she also has lots of practical advice for GPs and other healthcare professionals on how they can best support their patients.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Professor Deborah Christie received a fee for this podcast. Views are her own and not necessarily those of Abbott.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. They have a portfolio of life-changing technologies spanning the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines.

Useful links

●     Let’s Change Perspective

●     Diabetes UK

●     JDRF

The following are links to social media accounts Deborah mentioned during this interview:

●     Diabetic Health Coach on Instagram

●     Heather Jackson on Instagram

●     Diabetic Dad UK on X (formerly Twitter)

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Emma and Nick look at the New to Partnership Scheme – a three-year initiative that aimed to boost the number of partners in England – and ask, has it actually worked?

They discuss what’s going on with funding for general practice across the UK and what the uplifts agreed for 2023/24 mean for practices. And they talk about the latest appointment data for general practice in England and what it tells us about the pressure practices are under as we head towards winter.

This week’s good news story is about flu vaccination.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

●     Golden hello scheme brings in almost 3,000 new GP partners

●     What impact have 'golden hello' payments had on GP partnerships?

●     Cashflow warning as 6% uplift money delayed until November

●     Northern Ireland GP funding slashed despite 'absolute crisis'

●     'Disappointing' uplift falls short of 6% pay rise promised to GPs in Scotland

●     Dispensing practices face cashflow crisis as 'yo-yoing' fees fall sharply

●     GP practices delivering 150,000 extra appointments per day compared with 2019

●     Flu vaccination prevented 25,000 hospitalisations last year

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