Talking General Practice

The GPonline team discusses the ongoing dispute between the government and the BMA GP committee in England after a GP and member of the BMA Council and BMA GP committee reported health and social care secretary Wes Streeting to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for the language he’s used about the BMA in the dispute.

They also look at the internal politics at the BMA itself after a member of the GP committee resigned citing concerns about a 'toxic and unbearable' environment.

And they talk about AI in general practice, following a report by the Nuffield Trust think tank and the RCGP about how GPs are using new tech and some of the concerns about how it is being rolled out.

Our good news story is about a GP who is bidding to become Christmas number 1 with her song song that forms part of a campaign challenging stigma around women’s anatomy and periods.

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

Useful links

GP makes formal complaint over Wes Streeting behaviour towards BMA

Doctor resigns from BMA England GP committee claiming it is 'toxic and unbearable’

How could 'wider consultation' shape the GP contract for 2026/27?

Quarter of GPs use AI but 'wild west' rollout sparks safety fears

Viewpoint: How can general practice make best use of AI?

Dr Aziza Sesay’s song

Download on Spotify

Download on Apple

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Emma speaks to Dr Katie Bramall, chair of the BMA’s GP committee in England.

In this conversation, Katie talks about the current dispute with the government over online access changes. She responds to the recent letter sent to GPs by health secretary Wes Streeting, which accused her of 'unprofessional behaviour' and misleading the profession over contract changes, and explains why she believes trust between the profession and the government has evaporated.

Katie also talks about the next steps in the dispute, explaining why there is no immediate plan for a ballot on industrial action, and discusses her concerns about the 10-year health plan and what this could all mean for future GP contracts.

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

Useful links

How could 'wider consultation' shape the GP contract for 2026/27?

Government hails online consultation rollout but ignores impact on practices

Timeline: How general practice re-entered dispute with the government

GP makes formal complaint over Wes Streeting behaviour towards BMA

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The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice.

The team talks about GP contract negotiations after the government confirmed it intended to talk to key stakeholders alongside the BMA as part of putting together next year’s deal - and health and social care secretary Wes Streeting wrote to the profession accusing the GP committee chair of lies and unprofessional behaviour.

They discuss this week’s budget and what some of the measures outlined by the government could mean for general practice.

And Kimberley talks about an article she wrote recently interviewing a GP who has spent time working in Gaza.

Our good news story this week is about patients and a neighbouring surgery rallying around to help a practice that was severely affected by flooding in the wake of the recent Storm Claudia.

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

UK GP shares her experiences of working in war-torn Gaza

Streeting accuses BMA GP chair of lies and 'unprofessional' behaviour

Timeline: How general practice re-entered dispute with the government

What does the autumn budget mean for GPs?

Neighbouring surgery and patients rally round GP practice flooded by Storm Claudia

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Emma speaks to Dr Luke Sayers, a GP partner and the project lead for continuity of care at North East and North Cumbria ICB, and Dr Tom Kennedy, a GP registrar and ICB clinical fellow, about the importance of continuity of care.

Luke and Tom explain why continuity is so vital for both patients and doctors, discussing the evidence that shows it improves patient safety and reduces mortality, as well as the positive impact it has on GP job satisfaction and retention.

They discuss the misconception that focusing on continuity negatively impacts access, and they explain why the reverse is often true. They also set out practical steps practices can take to improve and measure continuity, including the use of micro-teams and personal lists, and how this way of working fits into the vision of a neighbourhood NHS.

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

Useful links

Building relational continuity of care in your practice - the poster Luke presented at the RCGP annual conference this year

What makes general practice work: the role of continuity in efficient and sustainable primary care - the BJGP paper by Professor Tom Marshall that Luke mentions in this episode

Continuity Counts website, which Tom mentions in this interview

Value of GP continuity risks 'slipping from collective memory' - story about the RCGP talk that Emma mentions (on GPonline)

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The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice’

Nick, Emma and Kimberley look at what went on at last week’s England LMCs conference, including the results of some key votes on balloting the profession on industrial action and the types of action GPs might take. They discuss whether GPs would vote in favour of such measures and some of the other key concerns raised at that conference.

Nick explains how the GP workforce has changed over the last decade now we’ve reached the landmark point of having 10 years worth of GP workforce statistics.

And Kimberley highlights this week’s good news story which is about a practice in Glasgow whose staff entered this year’s Great Scottish Run.

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

Useful links

LMCs demand ballot on action including 'full-day walkouts'

GP leaders threaten mass resignation from practice contracts

Boycott neighbourhoods unless they are GP-led, say LMCs

LMCs back 'non-compliance' with online access contract requirements

Government accuses GPs of 'standing in the way of change'

ARRS driving 'two-tier' GP job market and low pay, warn LMCs

How has the GP workforce changed after 10 years of promises?

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Emma speaks to Royal College of GPs veterans clinical champion Dr Emily Brookes, about the health needs of military veterans and their families, and what general practice can do to support these groups of patients.

Emily talks about the specific health challenges veterans are more likely to face, from physical conditions like hearing loss and musculoskeletal issues to a higher prevalence of mental health conditions - and the common barriers that prevent veterans from seeking help.

She explains how the RCGP’s Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme can help practices improve care for these patients and some of the services and support that is available to veterans.

Emily has 20 years of experience as a military GP in both the Army and the RAF and she also talks about what these roles involved and why she followed this career path.

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

Useful links

RCGP veterans’ health hub

RCGP veterans elearning module

Become a veteran friendly accredited practice

Op COURAGE

Op RESTORE

Full list of resources and organisations that support veterans from gov.uk

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Emma and Nick discuss the key news stories affecting general practice. They talk about how the GP contract change that requires practices to keep their online consultation systems on throughout core hours is affecting workload in general practice, as well as the increasingly bitter war of words between the government and the BMA about this issue.

They look ahead to next week’s England LMCs conference, where GP leaders will debate next steps on industrial action as a result of the dispute over online access.

They also discuss the latest NHS planning guidance and what that means for GPs, some good news from Scotland on the GP contract there and Nick’s recent analysis on how GP premises funding is being spent in England.

This week’s good news story is about practices delivering award-winning end of life care.

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

Useful links

●     'No progress' on GP contract reform as BMA frozen out of Carr-Hill review

●     Government plans new target for GPs to offer urgent patients same-day appointments

●     GPs in Scotland end dispute as £531m funding deal agreed

●     Practices forced to hire extra staff to manage online consultation workload

●     LMCs to vote on major escalation of GP industrial action

●     Most GP practices say £1.1bn contract has not eased financial pressure

●     How are ICBs spending the £102m GP premises fund?

●     GPs and practices recognised for providing outstanding end-of-life care

●     RCGP/Marie Curie Daffodil standards - more details

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Emma speaks to GP Dr Callum Leese about the importance of physical activity and how primary care professionals can promote it to their patients.

Callum is a GP in Aberfeldy, Scotland, and also works at the University of Dundee, where his research focuses on physical activity promotion and implementation in primary care. He is also the Royal College of GPs co-lead for physical activity.

In this conversation, Callum talks about his research, including work with the WHO looking at physical activity promotion in policy across Europe, and RCGP initiatives like the Active Practice Charter and parkrun practices and how these can benefit both patients and staff.

He offers advice for GPs on how to raise the issue of physical activity in consultations and discusses the importance of tailoring exercise advice to patients with specific health conditions.

He also talks about a fantastic initiative he’s involved with, which is aiming for his home town of Aberfeldy to become the healthiest town in Scotland, and his work with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, where he leads the physical activity special interest group.

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

Useful links

RCGP physical activity hub

RCGP parkrun practices

Moving Medicine - website from Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine

British Society of Lifestyle Medicine

Callum’s Movement Prescription podcast

Aberfeldy healthiest town website

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This week we look at the rapidly advancing field of genomics, which is becoming increasingly relevant to everyday primary care. Emma speaks to Dr Jude Hayward and Dr Imran Rafi, who are the Royal College of GPs’ joint clinical representatives for genomics. Jude is a GP with an extended role in genomic medicine and Imran is a reader in primary care and genomics at St. George's University in London.

Jude and Imran discuss the most significant changes genomics is set to bring over the next decade, including its potential use in predicting risk for common conditions, rise of pharmacogenomics and whether the government’s 10-year plan’s vision for the role of genomics is realistic.

They also talk about some of the practical challenges facing GPs, such as how to handle patients presenting with results from direct-to-consumer genetic tests, the ethical considerations around data and consent, and the importance of ensuring advances in genomics help to narrow rather than widen health inequalities.

And they also explore the opportunities for GPs to develop an extended role in this fascinating area of medicine.

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

Useful links

GeNotes - genomics notes for clinicians

GP with extended role in clinical genetics/genomics - RCGP framework

RCGP eLearning - Genomics toolkit

RCGP position statement on direct to consumer genomics testing

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GPonline is the media partner for the RCGP annual conference and this is the second of two special episodes of Talking General Practice from the event Newport in Wales this week.

In this episode we look at what health minister Stephen Kinnock said about overhauling the Carr-Hill formula and the BMA dispute over online consultations and what delegates thought about this. We also highlight what RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne had to say in her speech about primary care funding and GP retention.

Emma talks to RCGP vice chairs Professor Margaret Ikpoh and Dr Thomas Patel-Campbell about the results of the college’s latest member survey, the importance of investing in primary care and how the increase in anti-immigration and right-wing rhetoric is affecting GPs.

She also speaks to RCGP Wales chair Dr Rowena Christmas about being the subject of a book that tells the story of rural general practice and the college’s manifesto for next year’s Senedd elections and talks to outgoing RCGP president Dr Richard Vautrey.

Useful links

●     Find all of GPonline’s coverage from this week’s conference at gponline.com/rcgp

●     Health minister describes online consultation dispute as ‘phoney war’

●     Government launches review of 'not fit for purpose' GP funding formula

●     GPs face unsafe workload and fear neighbourhoods will make it worse, RCGP warns

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