Practices have been deluged with record numbers of patients on the “worst” Monday on record, GPs warned last night. Several prominent GPs reported on the numbers of patients calling their practices as the spread of viruses and fears about Group A Strep loaded pressure on services. The problems arose as the NHS had a day…

While patients may be worried about paying their spiralling energy bills this winter, they should spare a thought for GP practices too. Traditionally, the vast majority of practices have received no financial support with their energy bills, unlike their water and business rates, although the recently introduced  Government Energy Bill Relief Scheme has helped slightly.…

Practices were warned to expect extra pressures today as nurses began their first ever national strike. Emergency and urgent services in hospitals are due to be maintained but NHS 111 is on stand by for a surge in calls. Nurses in dozens of hospitals are on strike today and ambulance staff begin strikes next week.…

Practice staff concerns can pose an obstacle for patients who do not have documents for registering, a new study has found. The current NHS guidance for England states that anyone who is resident in the country is eligible to register with a GP, however most practices ask for proof of address and identification as routine.…

Fully qualified GPs are responsible for growing numbers of patients, according to new data showing annual increases over the last five years. The Royal College of GPs said the data, from the Office for National Statistics, shows the “intense pressure” on GP services. The data shows that the doctor-patient ratio in general practice is falling…

It’s frightening to learn that one in four of England’s population is classed as inactive, meaning they do less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each week – that’s under five minutes a day! Inactivity is one of the leading causes of preventable early death, and the IGPM team regularly see the negative impact of…

A tax loophole could be used to fund the training of more GPs, Labour has said as the party highlighted growing waits for appointments. The party stressed it wanted to recruit more doctors after medical organisations criticised an earlier version of its statement, alleging patients were being “denied” appointments. The party’s analysis found that in…