Talking General Practice

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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