All new mothers in England are to receive an in-depth mental and physical check-up from their GP in the weeks after they give birth, NHS officials have promised. The postnatal check-up, which takes place between six and eight weeks after giving birth, will cover several topics such as mental health, physical recovery and breastfeeding, and…

Online GP consultations are quicker, more flexible, and more efficient than traditional consulting methods, the largest study of patient views in England has concluded. The University of Manchester research, published in the British Journal of General Practice, found male patients and older patients found online systems particularly helpful, but some respondents still wanted a return…

The Government’s new plan to improve vaccine uptake will fail if adequate funding is not provided to practices, Practice Managers have warned. NHS England says it wants to make getting a vaccine as easy as “booking a taxi” using apps. It plans new community outreach and “one stop” vaccine centres. The Institute of General Practice…

A row erupted today over plans to introduce regulation for physician associates. There are 1,700 associates working in primary care in England – and under new laws they will be regulated by the General Medical Council. Yesterday the Government said it was about to lay an order before Parliament enabling the GMC to proceed with…

The NHS is still short of its target for putting GP records on-line, a process which is expected to reduce pressure on practices, it has been announced. More than 80% of practices have now uploaded patient records and made them available on the NHS app – but the target is to achieve this for 90%…

Remote GP consultations carry risks for some urgent conditions – and practices and patients need to take steps to avoid this, according to a major new analysis. The risks include new chest and abdominal pain, palliative care, injuries and diabetes, according to the latest findings of a project involving the University of Oxford and the…

Investment in primary care will be crucial to ambitions to cut cancer deaths in the UK, senior doctors say. Cancer Research UK yesterday set out its proposals aimed at preventing 20,000 deaths from the disease by 2040. Among its proposals is a call for a dramatic reduction in waiting times for tests and diagnoses. The…