Talking General Practice

In our regular news review, the GPonline team talks about advice and guidance after NHS England was forced to clarify that there was no national target for diverting GP referrals.

They also look at some new guidance from the BMA on advice and guidance and whether GPs have been involved locally with the development of controversial single point of access systems that NHS England say will overhaul referrals.

They discuss the state of the GP partnership after a private company, Operose Health, approached GP partners with the offer to ‘liberate them’ from the pressure of running a practice. And there’s a brief look ahead to the UK LMCs conference, which starts on 13 May.

Our good news story this week is about a practice in North Yorkshire that has been saved from closure.

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
Can NHS England bring GPs on board with advice and guidance reforms?
NHS rules out 'national target' to cut GP referrals in advice and guidance update
BMA hails progress in talks with DHSC as GP collective action deadline nears
Private provider offers to 'liberate GP partners' from running NHS practices
GPs to debate quitting NHS amid warnings over 'Amazon-style' access
Practices rally round to stop village losing GP services

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Emma speaks to Professor Greg Irving, an academic GP and the national specialty lead for general practice at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In this conversation, Greg discusses the essential role of research in general practice and how it is being embedded into the government’s 10-year plan as the NHS shifts focus from hospitals to the community.

He explains the various ways the NIHR supports and funds research in primary care, highlighting opportunities for practices to get involved—from light-touch studies to more complex commercial research.

Greg also addresses common concerns about the workload associated with research and highlights how it can improve quality of care, boost job satisfaction for the practice team, and help tackle health inequalities and offers practical advice for practices wanting to get involved.

And Emma and Greg also discuss the shift toward neighbourhood working and how general practice is uniquely placed to lead research into complex challenges like multiple long-term conditions.

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

Useful links
NIHR School for Primary Care Research
NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN)
Practices can access commercial study opportunities via the National Contract Value Review (NCVR)
Funding and infrastructure opportunities that are available, such as the NIHR Capital Infrastructure
NIHR primary care strategy and research programme

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This week Nick and Emma discuss GP retention and look at the reasons why experienced doctors are leaving the role and what the NHS needs to do to ensure more GPs remain in the job for longer.

They talk about how the expanded use of online consultations has impacted on GP workload and fears about what this year’s GP contract – which introduces new same-day access targets and changes to GP referrals – and the push towards neighbourhoods could mean for practice workload.

And they discuss the latest on this year’s GP contract, including what we know about the practice-level reimbursement scheme for GPs and possible collective action by GPs.

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

Useful links
Advice and guidance 'ping-pong' fuelling the GP retention crisis
Viewpoint: Why experienced GPs are leaving the NHS and how we can keep them
GP workforce at 10-year high, government claims
GPs working 20 hours a day to clear avalanche of online requests
Steep rise in online consultations over past year, latest data show
Preparations underway for return to GP collective action
Practice-level GP reimbursement scheme will not begin until May

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Emma talks to Dr Liz Dapré, an academic GP and co-chair of the group GPs Championing Perinatal Care (GPCPC) about the vital role of primary care in maternal and perinatal health.

In this conversation Liz and Emma discuss the key problems in perinatal care across the NHS and what needs to happen to address some of these issues.

Liz explains how GPCPC is working to ensure the voice of general practice is heard by national policymakers and what it does to support GPs.

She also talks about health inequalities in maternal health, the role GPs can play in tackling these and provides practical advice on delivering high-quality 6-to-8-week postnatal checks – explaining why these should be seen as a holistic review of a woman’s transition to parenthood rather than just a series of clinical boxes to tick.

And they talk about how GPs can better identify and support women following birth trauma, as well as managing gestational diabetes and the ongoing risks for women affected by this.

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

Useful links
● Women with gestational diabetes should be referred to the Diabetes Prevention Programme
● GPs Championing Perinatal Care
● NHS England 6- to 8-week postnatal check guidance
● Improving maternal postnatal check uptake in general practice using an opt-out equitable model of access: results of a 12- month quality improvement project, by Dr Dhiviya Tharan
● City Birth Trauma Scale questionnaire

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Emma and Nick discuss the results of the BMA referendum on the GP contract and what happens next, including whether GPs will take action and what health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has said about this.

They talk about this year’s GP contract deal after the DDRB recommended a 3.5% pay increase for GPs and practice staff and updated contract guidance for PCNs was published - highlighting some of the key challenges facing practices as the new financial year begins.

Our good news story this week is about the annual British Social Attitudes survey, which showed satisfaction with general practice has risen to its highest point since 2021.

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

Useful links

GPs vote overwhelmingly to reject 2026/27 contract
GPs could start collective action in April if contract talks fail
GP pay rise 'could fall short' amid rising inflation
Government reveals details of 2026/27 GP contract funding
GPs already hired with PCN cash can move to new practice-level scheme
Lack of detail on new GP reimbursement scheme ‘completely unacceptable’
Public satisfaction with general practice highest since 2021

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