Talking General Practice

Professor Andy Brooks, NAPC Clinical Chair and population health specialist, joins Liam Loftus, NAPC Head of Policy focused on primary care and health equity. They explore how neighbourhood care could transform general practice, why trust, relationships and local leadership matter, and the risks of multi-neighbourhood providers. They also discuss continuity of care, funding, and practical steps practices can take now.

GPs weigh up what they want from the next contract, from fairer funding and flexible online access to the future of reimbursement schemes and list cleaning. NHS delays are driving extra work in surgeries, while hospital deficits threaten plans to shift resources into neighbourhood care. Plus, a short-staffed Cumbrian practice prepares to reopen.

Dr Adrian Hayter, a Windsor GP and NICE Chief Medical Officer, discusses making guidance faster, clearer and more useful for frontline teams. He explores multimorbidity, neighbourhood care and the forthcoming Single National Formulary, alongside prescribing consistency and clinical judgement. He also examines how NICE will assess AI tools, apps and medical-grade wearables.

The GPonline team discusses the latest news affecting general practice. This week they look at the additional roles reimbursement scheme after an analysis of NHS data by Nick suggested that PCNs are starting to switch funding towards paying for more GPs and nurses as opposed to other healthcare professionals.Nick and Emma discuss the BMA England GP committee’s decision to postpone any escalation to collective action in a bid to reset its relationship with the government ahead of this year’s contract negotiations.They look at what that means and the key issues the BMA will be pushing for in this year’s contract talks.Meanwhile, this week Kimberley went to Liverpool to the Labour Party conference - she explains what the mood was like and what GPs attending the conference thought about it. And the team looks at what prime minister Andy Burnham and health and social care secretary Yvette Cooper had to say.And our good news story this week is about an innovative GP-led falls prevention initiative.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Sign up for GPonline updates with our 60-second GP email hereUseful linksARRS funding shift as PCNs prioritise doctors and nurses GPs in England postpone further action in 'reset' with governmentGPs urged to 'seize' neighbourhood model as Cooper hails improved access If hospital to community shift doesn't work - stop it, says RCGPInnovative GP-led falls scheme 'strong example' of neighbourhood benefitsThe Pharmacists’ Summit - from MIMS Healthcare NetworkTwo evenings of online learning on 30 November and 1 December for pharmacists working in primary care. For more information and to register for your free place visit:https://www.mimshealthcarenetwork.co.uk/mims-learning-live-digital-the-pharmacists-summit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netty Kinsella, a uro-oncology nurse consultant with nearly 30 years’ experience, offers practical guidance on suspected urological cancer. Topics include risk-adapted PSA testing, prostate MRI and targeted biopsies, referral triggers for haematuria, and urgent testicular symptoms. She also explores multidisciplinary cancer care and how specialist diagnostic services support GPs.

Dr Lynsey Bennett is an Oxford GP and educator specialising in grief and bereavement care. She explores a practical three-part framework for conversations about loss, why grief does not follow neat stages, and how clinicians can support rather than “fix” pain. They also discuss recognizing complex grief, small practice changes, community support, and protecting staff wellbeing.

List cleaning is cutting GP funding and triggering concerns about patients being wrongly removed, missed medicines and major income shocks. Proposed neighbourhood contracts face warnings over bureaucracy, subcontracting and lessons from PCNs. GPs and MPs debate whether access should mean speed alone, or include continuity, quality and proper investment. Plus, the CQC highlights innovative ways practices are reaching underserved communities.

Wendy Baillie, a chartered financial planner specialising in doctors’ finances, explains the GP pension gap and why it can emerge. They explore how portfolio careers, reduced sessions, career breaks, maternity leave and caring responsibilities affect NHS pension accumulation. The discussion also covers later retirement ages, early retirement choices, and when GPs should review their plans.

Emma speaks to Dr Dominic Patterson, a GP in Doncaster, chair of the Royal College of GPs Health Equity Special Interest Group, and CEO of the charity Fair Health.In this conversation, Dominic talks about the college’s new Fairer Practice Toolkit, which provides practical, evidence-informed steps GP practices can take to tackle health inequalities. He explains how the toolkit breaks down over 100 actions into accessible tiers, supporting practices to make a meaningful difference.He also explains why practices should consider reframing DNAs through the lens of ‘missingness’ to better support vulnerable groups, how health equity focused training schemes are encouraging GPs into deprived practices, and simple changes - such as reviewing practice registration barriers - that make a big difference.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful links●     RCGP Fairer Practice Toolkit●     RCGP Health Equity Special Interest Group●     Fair Health●     NHS England’s Core 20-plus framework Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New figures reveal what salaried GPs and partners earn, why regional gaps are widening, and how rising costs are threatening practice stability. Proposed neighbourhood contracts could reshape primary care, while a landmark legal appeal examines whether the GMC owes doctors a duty of care. GP-led community schemes offer a hopeful glimpse of services reducing avoidable hospital admissions.