A quarter of practices are now at risk as staff buckle under workload pressures, according to a major new survey. The findings come from the Royal College of GPs, which found hundreds of GPs and practice managers reporting “fears” that their practice would close. Some 2,600 practice staff took part in a college survey and…

GPs have “no choice” but to take industrial action after the latest contract imposition, a doctors’ group says. On Monday night the NHS England announced arrangements for practices for the coming year after talks broke down with the British Medical Association. Contractual changes include a requirement that practices do not tell callers to “ring back…

GP leaders pledged “serious” discussions about action after NHS England imposed a controversial new contract on them last night. The imposition came rapidly after GP leaders met Health Secretary Steve Barclay last week only to be told he would not intervene or provide support. It includes a tough new requirement that practices cannot tell patients…

The NHS relaunched its volunteering scheme today, assigning volunteers to help make calls to socially isolated patients. NHS England said it already has 1,000 volunteers who have agreed to make calls to vulnerable, isolated or lonely people in the “Check In and Chat” programme. GPs, pharmacists and other health workers can use the service to…

GPs and practices may face an imposed contract after the failure of talks involving Health Secretary Steve Barclay. GP leaders have already threatened sanctions over proposals for a contract which, they say, fails to allow for the increased costs faced by practices. Barclay met doctors from the British Medical Association GP committee last week as…

A drive to reduce opioid prescriptions in primary care is having success as patients move to therapeutic alternatives to drugs, it was announced today. The NHS has experienced a 13.9% reduction in benzodiazepine prescriptions in the last four years and a 10.2% reduction in use of z-drugs, NHS England announced. At the time as many…

The rate of GP resignations could increase as pressures continue to grow on the service, the chair of the Royal College of GPs has warned. The latest monthly data continues to show appointments increasing at practices while the numbers of fully qualified GPs reduce. RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said it has been a “tough…