Talking General Practice

Emma and Nick discuss the debate that’s raging about the use of physician associates in the NHS after the BMA issued new guidance on the tasks PAs should and shouldn’t be doing and the RCGP updated its red lines on the use of PAs in general practice.

They also talk again about the struggles GPs are facing finding work as the financial pressures in general practice continue to bite, as well as the results of a new BMA survey of GP registrars about their future career intentions.

And they look at what happened at the Welsh LMCs conference recently where GPs called for the BMA to move towards industrial action by GPs in Wales - and also what’s going on in England as we head towards the end of the referendum on the GP contract there.

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

Useful links

Physician associates must never see undifferentiated patients, BMA safety advice warns

RCGP expands 'red lines' on use of physician associates in general practice

NHS promises clear safety advice for GPs on physician associate role

Qualified GP driving for Uber amid chronic shortage of jobs

Just two in five GP registrars plan to work in UK general practice, devastating poll reveals

Welsh LMCs push for industrial action as ministers warned not to 'devalue general practice'

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Emma talks to BMA England GP committee chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer about the impact the GP contract for 2024/25 will have, the BMA’s referendum on the deal and what happens next.

GPs in England are facing the third consecutive contract imposition and a deal that will deliver just a 1.9% uplift to funding in 2024/25. The BMA last week launched a referendum on the contract and we’re entering a crucial period for the profession that could see GPs head towards industrial action later this year.

In this interview Dr Bramall-Stainer explains why she thinks the deal represents an ideological dismantling of NHS general practice, how it could harm practices and patients, and what happened during this year’s contract negotiations.

She also talks about what she hopes the referendum will achieve and what happens next, how the BMA’s safe working guidance could help practices in the coming months and how working in partnership with patients could help convince ministers of the need for further investment in general practice ahead of the general election.

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

Useful links

GP concerns have been 'ignored' but referendum offers chance to speak up, says BMA

BMA reveals forms of industrial action GPs could take this year

What is in the GP contract for 2024/25?

GP business model 'non-viable' under 2024/25 contract, warns BMA

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This week the GPonline team discusses the GP contract for England for 2024/25. 

They look at how the contract deal will affect practice finances, as well as some of the other changes it will bring.

They also talk about the human impact of underfunding in general practice, which has seen some unemployed locum GPs being forced to use food banks as well as and practices having to cut back services because of funding constraints.

They also look at what happens next after the BMA launched its referendum on the deal this week and ask whether GPs in England are heading for industrial action and what that might look like.

Our good news story is about plans for same-day access hubs in North West London being shelved.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostcock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

GPs asked to vote on 2024/25 contract as BMA launches yes/no referendum

BMA reveals forms of industrial action GPs could take this year

Unemployed locum GPs relying on food banks, BMA council member warns

Outstanding practice forced to scale back services due to 'spiralling' costs

What is in the GP contract for 2024/25?

ICB backs down on same-day access plan after GP and patient outcry

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This week Emma speaks to Beccy Baird, senior fellow at health think tank the King’s Fund.

Beccy is the lead author of a report the King’s Fund published in Feburary called Making care closer to home a reality – refocusing the system to primary and community care. The report looks at what needs to happen to ensure a greater share of NHS funding goes to primary care and community services and we build an NHS that is focused on communities rather than hospitals.

The report says that the government's failure to invest in primary care ranks as one of the most significant and long-running failures of NHS policy over the past 30 years.

In this interview Beccy explains why we need an NHS that is focused around primary care and community services and why, despite so many policies advocating this shift over the years, this has not happened. She also explains how she thinks we can make that move in future and what needs to happen at a national and local level to make it a reality.

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

Useful links

You can find the full King’s Fund report here.

Register for or subscribe to GPonline here.

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This week the GPonline team looks at the visa challenges facing international medical graduate (IMG) GPs in training and how this could drive them out of the NHS.

They also talk about the difficulties locum GPs in England are facing finding work, why this is happening, and how it is affecting rates of pay following a recent survey carried out by GPonline and our sister site GP Business.

And they discuss appointment data and patient data for the whole of 2023 and how general practice fared over those 12 months.

This week’s good news story is about how a practice has used patient feedback and effective communication about the work they are doing to deliver a massive fall in complaints.

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

Useful links

NHS risks losing thousands of new GPs because of visa sponsor shortfall

IMG doctors lift the lid on why a generation of GPs may slip away from the NHS

How GP practices can become skilled worker visa sponsors

More than half of locum GPs in England are struggling to find work

GP locum rates fall slightly in England but rise in rest of UK

Practices delivered 'an extra month and a half' of appointments last year

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Emma speaks to GP and author Dr Ellen Welch about her latest book Why Can’t I See My GP? which was published this month.

The book looks at the current state of general practice, why we have reached this point, and puts forward ideas on what needs to be done to address the problems. Along with her own views the book includes personal accounts from GPs and others about their experiences.

In this interview Ellen discusses the process of writing the book and why she chose this topic, what she learned during the process of writing it and what she thinks needs to happen to address the current crisis facing general practice.

The Doctors Association UK is sending a copy of the book to every MP to raise the alarm about the state of primary care and Ellen also talks about what she hopes this will achieve.

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

Useful links

●     Why Can’t I See My GP (Amazon link)

●     Viewpoint: Patients and GPs are unhappy with access to general practice, what's the solution? (from GPonline)

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Last week the BMA rejected a contract offer for practices in England that would deliver a 1.9% uplift in funding. In this episode of Talking General Practice the GPonline team looks at what we know about the deal that’s currently on the table.

They discuss what a 1.9% funding uplift would mean for practices, what the BMA, grassroots GPs and Labour think about the deal, and what happens next – including whether industrial action could be on the cards.

In other news, they look at what’s going on with regulation of physician’s associates and the ongoing debate about their use in the NHS. And this week’s good news is about Northern Ireland.

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

Useful links

What do we know about the 2024/25 GP contract offer?

'Insulting' 1.9% uplift threatens £50,000 black hole per average practice

Labour says 1.9% GP contract offer ‘devaluing general practice'

Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer: It's time to stop ignoring reality - GPs need more funding

Most doctors say working with physician associates has increased workload

Lords set for full debate on physician associates after pressure from doctors

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Robyn Clark is a managing partner in a practice in Gloucestershire and a founder and director of the Institute of General Practice Management.

On this episode of Talking General Practice she talks to Emma about the challenges facing practice managers in the current climate, what needs to be done to cut bureaucracy in general practice – including how the QOF needs to change – and what practice managers are hoping to see from the next GP contract.

Robyn also explains the current financial pressures facing GP practices, and discusses what NHS England and GP partners should be doing to support managers and recognise the vital role they play.

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

Useful links

Institute of General Practice Management

From GPonline

Viewpoint: Investment in practice managers is a step towards saving general practice

Accreditation for practice managers

Find out more about our website GP Business and how to subscribe here.

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In this week’s podcast the team discusses GP funding after analysis by the Liberal Democrats showed a real-terms fall in practice funding during the past four years. Meanwhile, government figures have also shown that the share of NHS funding going to primary care has fallen to an eight-year low.

They also talk about problems at the primary care interface - the interface between practices and other parts of the NHS, including hospitals, community services and mental health services – and how it is wasting millions of GP appointments every year.

And they look at the latest on measles and MMR vaccine uptake after the UK Health Security Agency last week declared a national incident because of rising cases of measles.

Our good news story this week is about the Friends and Family Test.

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

Useful links

●     Which ICB areas have seen the largest drops in real-terms GP funding?

●     RCGP warning as primary care share of NHS funding hits eight-year low

●     Solving NHS 'interface' chaos could save 6m GP appointments a year

●     NHS England launches catch-up MMR campaign amid rising measles cases

●     GPs told to wear PPE when seeing suspected measles cases

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Talking General Practice speaks to former BMA chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul about the extent of the problem of racism in the medical profession and what we can do to address this.

Dr Nagpaul is a London GP, a former chair of the BMA GP committee, and in 2017 he became the first person from an ethnic minority to chair the British Medical Association - a post he held until 2022.

While he was chair the BMA set up a national forum for racial and ethnic equality - the first time it had such a group. It also conducted a landmark survey in 2022 to establish the scale of the issue of racism across the medical profession and how it affects doctors’ wellbeing and their careers.

In this conversation Dr Nagpaul explains some of the key findings from that survey and what he believes the NHS and the medical profession need to do to tackle racism. He also talks about the impact racism has on doctors and how it affects patient care, how we can address differential attainment in medical exams and disparities in GMC referrals, as well as the importance of having more leaders in medicine from different ethnic groups.

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

Useful links

BMA FREE (forum for racial and ethnic equality)

BMA racism in medicine survey

BMA - delivering racial equality in medicine

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