Talking General Practice

Emma speaks to Labour’s shadow health and social care secretary Wes Streeting about the party’s plans for general practice if it wins next week’s general election. Mr Streeting discusses what Labour would do to address the GP jobs crisis – which has seen thousands of GPs struggling to find work – and why Labour believes general practice should receive a greater share of the NHS budget. He also explains his views on the GP partnership model, how he hopes to avert possible collective action by GPs this summer and why he thinks general practice has a lot to look forward to if Labour forms the next government. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful linksLabour promises 'investment and reform' to bring back family doctorGeneral election: The parties' pledges on general practiceSee all of GPonline’s coverage of the general election Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma speaks to Nottinghamshire GP Dr Carter Singh from the Rebuild General Practice campaign about what the campaign is hoping to achieve, what it is doing during the general election, and how it hopes to influence the new government.Carter also explains the key issues that he thinks the new government needs to address, the importance of investing in more GPs and his views on the BMA ballot on collective action, which launched this week.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksRebuild General Practice campaignUnemployment 'scandal' as most job-seeking GPs struggle to find workGeneral election: The parties' pledges on general practiceViewpoint: Technology alone will not solve the problems in general practice – Rebuild General Practice responds to Labour’s plans for technology in the NHSBritain's LMCs co-sign 'unprecedented' letter demanding action to end GP crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The GPonline team looks at the GP employment crisis and concerns about what job opportunities await the many GP registrars due to qualify this summer.They highlight the latest news from the general election, discussing the BMA’s manifesto and what the political parties have been saying about general practice in their manifestos. And the talk about GMC regulation of physician associates after the regulator set out some further details about how this will work. Our good news story this week is about a new surgery development in North Yorkshire.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 linksGPonline’s general election coverageThe GPs standing to be MPs in the general electionGP registrar applies to work for Tesco as general practice jobs evaporateBMA calls GP unemployment a ‘national disgrace’ after GP confronts SunakSupervising physician associates – what GPs need to knowDoctors raise over £40,000 for GMC legal challenge over PA and AA regulation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma speaks to GP Dr Farnaaz Sharief who is also the chief executive of Manage your Mind which works with NHS and social care staff to help develop mental resilience.Farnaaz talks about mental wellbeing in the NHS, what mental resilience means and why it is so important.She also has lots of practical advice on how people can boost their mental resilience to help them cope with stress and pressures - both inside and outside work, how to support friends and colleagues experiencing stress, what practices and organisations can do to promote wellbeing, and the role coaching can play.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful links●     Manage your mind●     Box breathing (link to YouTube)●     The straw breath (link to YouTube).●     Farnaaz’s webinar on wellbeing on MIMS LearningGood Medical PracticeThe updated version of the GMC’s Good Medical Practice is here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The GPonline team discusses the BMA ballot on collective action, which launches in June and what the general election could mean for that and general practice more widely. They talk about the Royal College of GPs call for an overhaul of GP funding so that it better addresses health inequalities and a wider report the college has produced on how to reverse the inverse care law. And they round up what went on at last week’s UK local medical committees conference.Our good news story this week is about a scheme in London that has been prescribing fruit and veg to patients on low incomes and with long term conditions that has seen some really impressive results.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 linksGPonline’s general election coverageDDRB uplift could leave practices £350m behind 2019 funding, warns GP leaderRCGP demands overhaul of 'all GP funding streams' to cut inequalityRCGP report Breaking the inverse care lawGPonline’s UK LMCs conference coverage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Emma talks to Tara Humphrey, founder and CEO of THC Primary Care, which provides management support and training to primary care networks across England. Tara is also the host of the Business of Healthcare podcast.Tara explains what makes a successful network, some of the challenges networks have to overcome and the positive side of the additional roles reimbursement scheme. She also talks about how the 2024/25 GP contract could affect PCNs, why financially secure GP practices are crucial to the success of networks and whether networks are here to stay.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksTHC Primary Care Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our regular news review the GPonline team looks at NHS England's plans to pilot new ways of working in general practice in a bid to ‘optimise the general practice operating model’ - and what this could all mean for the future. They also discuss what the BMA has suggested should be included in the next major overhaul of the GP contract.They look ahead to next week’s UK conference of local medical committees and discuss some of the key motions up for debate and they talk about the state of GP premises after updated premises cost directions were published last week following many years of delay.Our good news story this week is about an outreach project that’s taking health services out into deprived communities.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 linksWhat do the Premises Costs Directions 2024 mean for practices? - on GP BusinessListen to the podcast episode where Emma and Nick talked about the Fuller stocktake when it was first published.BMA sets out demands for 'new substantive GP contract'How safe working limits for GPs should change to reflect complexityLMCs to debate mass resignation and 'triple lock' linking GP contract to inflation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year the Royal College of GPs published a statement setting out a number of steps it said needed to be taken to ensure general practice was treated on a par with other branches of medicine. The college argued that a failure to recognise general practice’s role as the cornerstone of the NHS was driving underfunding and perpetuating the GP crisis.This week Emma talks to the college’s vice chair for external affairs Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown about how we can achieve parity of esteem for general practice and why it is so important that we do.Victoria talks through some of the recommendations the college has made around tackling inequalities in training, education and research; why we need steps to limit workload in general practice; and the importance of greater representation of general practice in leadership roles both locally and nationally.She also explains why the GMC’s specialist and GP register should be merged and discusses how the college hopes its strategy on achieving parity will develop in the coming months.You can find the college’s statement on achieving parity for general practice here https://www.rcgp.org.uk/representing-you/policy-areas/parity-esteemThe article on GPonline about how the RCGP was founded is here https://www.gponline.com/nhs-70-founding-rcgp/article/1485054This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and produced by Czarina Deen.Get in touchIf there is an issue or topic you would like us to cover on future episodes of Talking General Practice, please email us at gppodcast@haymarket.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our regular news review the GPonline team looks at what’s happened to the GP workforce over the course of the five year contract, in particular the number of GP partners. They also talk about the cost to the NHS of not retaining doctors following some BMA research and the government’s view of the workforce crisis.They discuss the issue of drug shortages and how it is affecting GPs and patients and look at the government’s plans to tackle the ‘sick note culture’ that could see GPs lose their role signing fit notes and big changes to benefits for those with disabilities and long-term illness.Our good news story this week is about a crowdfunder that’s raised money to support a popular local GP in her bid to keep her practice after it was put out to tender.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 linksWhich ICB areas are losing GP partners fastest?General practice lost 2,900 partners as GP workforce shrank during five-year contractGPs condemn 'ridiculous' practice underfunding as registrars fear unemploymentLeadsom claims there are '3,000 more GPs than in 2019'Patients left without medication as record drug shortages hit GP prescribingConstant NHS medicines shortages 'the new normal', report warns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Beech, a policy fellow at the Health Foundation, dives into the complexities of access in general practice. He discusses a research project that’s developing a ‘candidacy framework’ to enhance patient access beyond the traditional supply and demand model. Jake highlights why patient satisfaction remains low despite increasing appointments and critiques current national data that shapes policy decisions. He emphasizes the need for innovative strategies and local adaptability to tackle healthcare inequalities and improve patient experiences.