Talking General Practice

In this week’s podcast the GPonline team looks in detail at the government’s 10-year health plan and what it means for general practice.They talk about what the plan could mean for the future of the GP contract and the partnership model, the government’s plans for a neighbourhood NHS and what GPs think about the proposals. They also look at how the government plans to shift the NHS from analogue to digital and what this could mean for GPs and their teams.Meanwhile, our good news story this week is about the national roll out of a programme to train GPs with an extended role in gastroenterology.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 linksFind all our coverage of the 10-year health planThe 10-year health plan at a glance10-year plan threatens existing GP model and continuity of care, warns BMAPCNs in talks over taking on neighbourhood GP contractsViewpoint: Failure to build 10-year plan around general practice is a serious mistake

Emma speaks to Lizzy Lloyd, chair of AISMA, the Association of Independent Specialist Medical Accountants, and a partner at the accountancy firm Larking Gowen.The financial pressures on general practice have been a major theme of the past few years, and in this episode, Lizzy discusses the impact this has had on practices. She talks about cash flow problems and the complexities of the GP contract and funding, as well as challenges around workforce and service charge issues.Lizzy offers invaluable advice for practices looking to secure their financial future, including the importance of effective budgeting, and maximising income streams. She also discusses ongoing issues with NHS pensions and what GPs can do to navigate this complicated area.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Read GPonline’s coverage of the 10-year health plan hereUseful links●     Association of Independent Specialist Medical Accountants●     10-year NHS plan will promise 'major changes' to GP funding formula●     Government begins hunt for private premises investment ahead of 10-year plan●     Extra £100m needed to deliver 4% GP pay rise●     DDRB recommends new GP 'cost index' to help shape contract uplifts

This week Emma speaks to Dr Lisa Harrod-Rothwell, chief executive of Londonwide LMCs and a GP in Islington, North London. Londonwide LMCs represents local medical committees, GPs and practices in 27 of the capital’s 32 boroughs.In this conversation, Lisa explains exactly what Londonwide LMCs does and some of the key challenges facing general practice in London, including workforce issues, premises problems and health inequalities.She also talks about the London region of the NHS’s vision for a neighbourhood health service and the role Londonwide LMCs played in shaping that plan. Lisa explains the importance of general practice being at the table for planning discussions, the need for a function-first approach to service delivery, and the potential for a neighbourhood NHS to support and value general practice.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksLondonwide LMCsPCNs could be forced to re-align with neighbourhoods under London health planMost London GP practices 'feel unable to deliver safe care'

This week Emma and Nick discuss what the spending review had to say about the NHS and look ahead to what we know about the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which is expected to be published in the coming weeks.In this episode they talk about what that plan could mean for the future of general practice and the NHS in England, how the government might aim to meet its ambitions of creating a neighbourhood NHS and ‘bringing back the family doctor’, and where a new GP contract could fit into all of this.Our good news story this week is about those GPs who received honours in the King’s Birthday Honours last weekend.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksGPs recognised in King's birthday honoursNHS 10-year plan 'make or break' for general practiceGPs could run 'run local hospitals,' says Wes Streeting'GP-centric' 10-year NHS plan will protect partnerships10-year plan to overhaul GP incentives and 'completely reimagine' NHS

Emma speaks to Dr Caroline Taylor, chair of the National Association of Primary Care and a GP in Calderdale, West Yorkshire.The NAPC has been at the forefront of developing the neighbourhood approach to health and Caroline is a big advocate for this model. In this conversation, Caroline explains exactly what a neighbourhood is, how general practice should fit into this model and the benefits of this way of working for patients, GPs and practices, including increased job satisfaction.She also talks about how neighbourhood models could help shift care out of hospitals and into the community, the role of Community Health and Wellbeing Workers, a model the NAPC has been involved in rolling out nationally and the potential impact ICB cuts could have on developing neighbourhoods.Caroline also has some practical advice for GPs and others on how to get neighbourhood working off the ground in their area,This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksOn GPonline●     'GP-centric' 10-year NHS plan will protect partnerships●     10-year plan to overhaul GP incentives and 'completely reimagine' NHS●     How community health and wellbeing workers could help general practice●     ICBs are downsizing – what does this mean for primary care?National Association of Primary CareNAPC report on creating integrated neighbourhood teams

This week the GPonline team talks about the pay rise GPs and other doctors have received this year, what GPs think about this year’s contract deal and the prospect of more strikes from resident doctors.And they look at what’s happening in Northern Ireland after the government imposed the GP contract there.They also discuss the ongoing GP jobs crisis after the BMA raised fears that up to 1,000 GP registrars could find themselves struggling to get a job when they complete GP training this summer, what the union wants the government to do about it and some data on GP funding that shows why we are in this situation.Our good news story is about NHS England launching a 'world-first' vaccine programme for gonorrhoea this summer.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 linksWes Streeting: This year's pay deal is an investment to improve the NHSExtra £100m needed to deliver 4% Gp pay riseDDRB recommends new gp cost index to help shape contract upliftsUp to 1000 newly-qualified GPs face unemployment this summer, BMA warns StreetingPractice funding data reveals root cause of GP unemployment crisisFunding uplifts that match inflation top priority for GPs in new contractEngland launches ‘world-first’ gonorrhoea vaccination programme

The government is expected to publish its 10-year Health Plan in June and neighbourhood health will form a key part of the plan.In an interview with the Telegraph last month health and social care secretary Wes Streeting highlighted a scheme from Brazil, that has been piloted in London, and involves community health and wellbeing workers providing outreach work. Could a model like this be part of neighbourhoods? There have been suggestions from several quarters that the scheme will be included in the 10-year plan.Talking General Practice spoke to doctors involved with this model back in 2023, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit that now.So in this episode Emma speaks to Dr Matt Harris and Dr Connie Junghans-Minton about the initiative and how it is improving the use of health services among patients in London, which will hopefully result in better health outcomes.Matt, who's now a clinical reader in public health medicine at Imperial College London, saw the scheme in action first hand when he worked as a GP in Brazil, and it was his idea to bring the model to this country. He explains how the scheme works and why he thought it could help people in the UK. Meanwhile, Connie discusses how her practice introduced the initiative for some of their most deprived patients, and the impact it has had.Useful linksTelegraph story - NHS sent door-to-door to tackle sickness crisis

(Please note in this episode we mistakenly refer to a report on GP partner numbers as being produced by the Health Foundation. It was in fact produced by the Nuffield Trust)This week Emma and Nick discuss falling numbers of GP partners and what this could mean for the future of general practice.They talk about what went on at the UK LMCs conference last week, where the BMA launched a new report highlighting the value of a GP and there were debates on GP unemployment and the employer national insurance increase.And they look at the latest on plans to cut back ICBs, after an NHS England blueprint suggested this could mean some big changes for primary care.Our good news story this week is about a pilot in general practice in Manchester that is aiming to cut falls among older patientsThis episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful linksIn charts: How the loss of GP partners is acceleratingViewpoint: Is the partnership model really in decline?BMA dossier defines 'value of a GP' in push for fresh investmentLMCs hear harrowing stories of GPs impacted by unemployment crisisNational insurance hike is 'death sentence' for some GP practices, LMCs warnICBs told to 'merge functions' as blueprint outlines primary care shift