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...
GPs face rising levels of abuse
As GP practice staff work hard to deal with the post-pandemic backlog in care and provide an unprecedented number of appointments, many are distressed to be facing daily abuse from patients. Such abuse has risen markedly since before the pandemic, with serious...
Latest news on COVID vaccines
Across the UK, removal of the last COVID restrictions is underway. The focus is now on guidance and targeted protection of vulnerable individuals. Unfortunately, with greater freedom from COVID restrictions comes a rising infection level. Figures from the ZOE COVID...
Health Services Safety Investigations Body: An independent patient safety watchdog
The Health and Care Bill that was introduced to Parliament in July 2021 includes proposals for a new, independent patient safety watchdog, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). Compared with the existing Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB),...
Functional medicine: An overview
Although functional medicine is not formally recognised in the NHS, it is gaining a wide following from patients and healthcare professionals who believe the approach has value. So, what is functional medicine, and why is it attracting interest? Functional medicine...
Long COVID: What is it and how can GPs help their patients?
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data show that as of 31st October, an estimated 1.2 million people (1.9% of the population) reported having long COVID. About a third of those still had ongoing symptoms at least a year after their initial infection. The vast...
Menopausal symptoms: Awareness is growing among patients and GPs
Over the past year, increasing media attention on women’s health and the menopause has had a striking impact on women’s awareness of these important issues. With celebrities like Davina McCall talking openly about their experiences of menopause, and MPs debating the...
Primary Care Networks: Areas of focus for 2021/22
On 23 August, NHS England (NHSE) published a letter outlining plans for primary care networks (PCNs) in 2021/22 and 2022/23. Recognising the pressures currently faced by general practice, the letter confirmed a gradual introduction of new PCN service requirements,...