Update to Good Medical Practice standards
The General Medical Council (GMC) has updated Good Medical Practice (GMP), the professional standards for all registered UK doctors. The updated guidance places greater emphasis on the behaviours and values needed to create respectful, fair and supportive workplaces...
New cancer waiting times standards for England
NHS England recently announced changes to the cancer waiting times standards that will come into effect from 1 October 2023, supporting the NHS Long Term Plan objectives to improve early cancer diagnosis and cancer survival. The current list of 10 standards will be...
Expansion of the shingles vaccination programme
From 1 September 2023, the shingles vaccination programme will be expanded in England in line with recommendations made by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in 2019, to ensure that individuals at greatest risk from shingles are vaccinated at...
Removing barriers to effective working between general practice and secondary care
The interface between primary and secondary care is increasingly a source of friction, unnecessary workload and frustration. A recent GPonline survey revealed the extent of the problems regarding GP workload, with 83% of respondents saying that limiting the transfer...
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...