Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care: Key points
NHS England’s ‘Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, was unveiled on 9 May 2023, with two central ambitions: Tackle the 8am rush and reduce the number of people struggling to contact their practice. For patients to know on the day they contact their...
Dealing with medicines shortages in general practice
Recent months have seen serious shortages of certain HRT products, antibiotics, antidepressants, and other essential medicines, due to a complex interplay of factors, including global supply and distribution issues, high demand, and longer prescription cycles....
Safe working limits for GPs
The GP workforce is experiencing extreme pressure, exacerbated by staff shortages and unprecedented demand from patients with increasingly complex needs. Long working hours and excessive workload are leading to stress, burnout, and low morale. These factors impact on...
Supporting junior doctors in general practice
Junior doctors in England have voted overwhelmingly for strike action as they campaign for increased pay. The 72-hour walkout, on 13–15 March, will include GP trainees, who make up 15% of all junior doctors in England. Therefore, GP practices should be prepared for...
Industrial action by healthcare workers and the impact on general practice
Nurses, ambulance staff, physiotherapists and midwives employed by the NHS are taking part in widespread industrial action this winter as disputes over 2022/23 pay awards between health unions and the government remain unresolved. Although patients have been told that...
The role of GP assistants
In October, the NHS announced plans to boost the GP workforce ahead of winter. A key part of this plan is the recruitment of over 1000 GP assistants to help GPs reduce the amount of time they spend on administrative tasks and basic clinical duties. The move is...
Automatic patient access to GP-held medical records: Roll out goes ahead
In November, NHS England’s plans on Accelerating Citizen Access to GP Data will be rolled out across England, in line with 2019/20 GP contract requirements. Patients aged 16 and over, whose GP practices use TPP and EMIS systems, and who have online accounts, will be...
What does the health secretary’s plan for primary care mean in practice?
In September, Thérèse Coffey became the third health and social care secretary to be appointed in 2022. She takes on the role ahead of a winter that threatens to be challenging for the NHS, with fears of high rates of COVID-19 and influenza circulating, while...
Racism against ethnic primary care doctors
Recent reports have highlighted a shocking level of racism against medical staff within the NHS, including in primary care. Racial discrimination comes from colleagues, patients, and institutional biases, and presents in many forms. It impacts on staff well-being and...
Media relationship with general practice
GPs have been bitterly disappointed by critical articles from some sections of the press. The criticisms have included accusations that ‘lazy’ GPs avoided face-to-face appointments and inflammatory comments about GP pay and part-time working. Such articles...
NHS contract 2022/23: Concerns over resourcing the extended hours
In a letter to GP practices on 1 March, NHS England and NHS Improvement detailed the general practice contract arrangements for 2022/23, which focus on long-terms conditions, urgent care needs, and disease prevention. The contract remains largely aligned with the...
Dealing with the backlog of cancer care
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for cancer care. Key targets for early diagnosis and treatment are being missed and experts warn that gains in cancer survival will be reversed without significant progress to clear the backlog. Specialist...