Talking General Practice

This week Emma speaks to Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, who is a GP and the national chief medical officer in New Zealand.Helen took on her new role as chief medical officer six months ago, however many UK doctors will know her from her previous roles as chair of the Royal College of GPs, a post she held from between 2016 and 2019 and as chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges during the pandemic from 2020 to 2023. Before her move to New Zealand she was also a GP partner at a practice in Staffordshire, a professor of GP Education at the University of Birmingham and a member of the NHS England board.In this conversation Helen explains what prompted her to take such a big step in her career and move to the other side of the world, how the health system in New Zealand compares with the UK and what it’s like working as a frontline GP there. She also talks about the emotional impact of leaving her practice - and her life - in the UK.Helen offers some practical tips to other GPs taking on leadership roles, and those considering moving to work in another country, based on her own experiences, and gives her view on the UK government’s decision to scrap NHS England.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Visit GPonline for all the latest news affecting general practice and other resources to support GPs https://www.gponline.com         

The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice.This week Emma and Nick look at the new advice and guidance directed enhanced service, which will pay practices for GPs making use of local advice and guidance systems. Nick explains the huge variation of uptake of advice and guidance across England and what this could mean for practices delivering the enhanced service. You can find out about uptake in your local area in our story here https://www.gponline.com/will-gps-earn-advice-guidance-des/article/1915073They also talk about public sector pay reviews and whether the government is likely to agree to fund any recommendations for this year if they are over and above the 2.8% that has been planned for.And they discuss the state of GP premises and whether there is any chance that the government will stump up the money needed to improve premises in the coming years.Our good news story is an update on a story we discussed a couple of weeks ago about enhanced services in Lancashire and Cumbria.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful linksWhere will GPs earn most from the advice and guidance DES?Kinnock warns of 'fiscal constraints' as government considers public sector pay risesNHS leaders demand capital funding boost for primary careGPs win £14m funding boost after LES boycott threat 

This week Emma speaks to Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, the chair of the BMA England GP committee, about what the future holds for general practiceKatie explains why this year’s contract deal is the start of a long journey of recovery for general practice and the basis on which to create a more positive future for the profession.Now that the government has agreed to negotiate a completely new GP contract, Katie explains what her priorities will be in those contract negotiations and how the BMA will be making the case for greater investment in general practice.She talks about whether general practice should be directly reimbursed for staff costs, what should replace the Carr-Hill formula and whether it’s now time to define what core services in general practice actually are.Katie also explains why GPs need to keep up the pressure in their area to secure better funding for local enhanced services, how she thinks neighbourhoods could impact on general practice and also why she feels more hopeful about the future than at any other point since she qualified as a GP.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksFull GPonline coverage of the 2025/26 GP contractDefine GP core services or risk unfunded work transfer from hospitals, LMCs to warnBMA guidance on the 2025/26 GP contractBMA safe working guidancePatients first – Why general practice is broken and how can we fix it - BMA manifesto

The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice.This week the team looks at GP recruitment under the additional roles reimbursement scheme and what new figures tell us about how that initiative is working.They also talk about cuts to integrated care boards, what that could mean for general practice and how the financial constraints within the NHS are already impacting on funding for local services provided by GPs.Our good news story is about funding for research in GP practices.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 linksMap: Which areas have recruited the most ARRS GPs?Hundreds of PCNs yet to hire a single ARRS GPICB cuts 'could slow down move to neighbourhood NHS'200 practices could boycott LESs after ICB cut millions from funding offerWhat could ICB cuts mean for general practice? 

This week Emma speaks to Professor Naomi Allen, chief scientist at UK Biobank, a biomedical database and research resource that contains data, information and biological samples from half a million UK participants.Naomi, who is also a professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford, explains how UK Biobank was established, how it works, and the wealth of data it holds.Naomi also discusses the crucial role primary care data will play and explains how it will be incorporated into UK Biobank in the coming months.And she outlines some of the groundbreaking research that has already been conducted using UK Biobank data and how this could revolutionise patient care in general practice in the future.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksUK Biobank’s websiteDetails on how to access UK Biobank data as a researcherInformation about UK Biobank and GP patient data

On this week’s podcast Emma and Nick talk about how this year’s GP contract will affect practices’ finances and look at details of the advice and guidance enhanced service after final contract documents were published.Kimberley explains how collective action has helped one LMC secure a significant uplift to local enhanced service funding.And Nick talks through the results of this year’s British Social Attitudes survey, which was widely reported and shows satisfaction with the NHS and general practice has continued to fall. He explains why these results don’t tell the whole story of what’s going on in general practice.Our good news story this week is about GP practices signing up to become parkrun practices.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 linksGP contract threatens ‘vast gaps’ between practices and ARRS shortfall, expert warnsICB 'interface' groups to oversee expansion of advice and guidanceICB nearly triples LES budget after collective action and LMC talksGPs question major poll showing patient satisfaction at new lowLandmark for GPs as 2,000th practice joins parkrun scheme

This week’s episode looks at GPs with extended roles and how they could help move services out of hospitals and into the community, reduce waiting times for patients and boost GP retention.Emma is speaking to Dr Charlie Andrews, a GP partner and a GP with an extended role in gastroenterology. Charlie is the driving force behind a programme in the south west of England that trains GPs with extended roles in gastroenterology. This has been the basis for a new framework for GPs with extended roles that has been endorsed by the Primary Care Gastroenterology Society and the British Society of Gastroenterology.Charlie explains how the training programme works and the potential for GPs with extended roles to improve referral pathways and tackle some of the challenges facing the NHS, including workforce issues. He also talks about why the framework should be used by ICBs to develop GPs with extended roles in gastroenterology across England and how it could provide a model for other clinical specialties to develop GPs with extended roles.Charlie is happy for anyone who wants to discuss the training programme or anything to do with GPwER in gastroenterology to contact him by email on charles.andrews@nhs.net. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksThe GPwER in gastroenterology frameworkRCGP information on GPwERs - including links to frameworks for some other specialties

This week Emma and Nick talk about the government agreeing to negotiate a completely new GP contract within the term of this parliament and what that could mean for the profession.They also discuss the government’s decision to scrap NHS England and how it could affect general practice. And they look at the future of the GP partnership model after an influential health think tank, the Nuffield Trust, suggested that the government should develop alternative models for general practice.Our good news story this week is about patient access to general practice.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksGovernment commits to talks on major new GP contract to keep 2025/26 deal on trackWhat does NHS England's abolition mean for general practice?Two GPs named in revamped NHS executive teamGovernment 'should develop alternative GP models' amid rapid decline in partnersMap: Which areas are performing best on the government's GP access benchmark?

This week Emma speaks to Dr Iain Morrison, chair of the BMA Scotland GP committee Scotland, about the critical challenges facing general practice in Scotland.In this conversation Iain explains some of the challenges general practice in Scotland is facing as a result of problems with the 2018 GP contract, the impact of underfunding, and the growing crisis in the GP job market.He explains what needs to happen to address these issues and the prospect of GPs in Scotland taking industrial action in the coming year unless the government takes steps to increase funding – and discusses why GP practices should adopt the BMA safe working guidance.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksBMA safe workload guidance for GPs in Scotland'Devastated' practices lay off staff after five-figure premises cost hike - GPonline story about the premises problems facing practices in LothianGP practices in Scotland promised £10.5m to boost capacityScottish GPs call for national fix to help IMG doctors secure visasTwo thirds of Scottish GPs ready to disrupt services through industrial action