The public is making increasing use of the NHS App, reducing personal trips to practices, according to a new analysis. NHS Digital, which manages the App, said the study showed how the App is reducing the carbon footprint of the NHS by reducing patient journeys. According to the analysis, between April and December last year…

One in six GPs under the age of 50 are planning to leave the profession within five years, according to a major study casting light on the growing crisis in primary care. Overall, about a third of GPs are planning to quit or retire within five years, according to the eleventh GP Worklife Survey, conducted…

The number of GPs in England has been steadily declining for seven years – in spite of improved recruitment to training programmes, a government minister has admitted. Seven years ago the government promised to increase GP numbers by 5,000 – but since then the overall number of full-time equivalent, fully trained GPs has fallen by…

Practices have been ordered to work overtime to make up for any reduction in weekly appointment numbers caused by the coming Easter holiday, it has been revealed. Instructions from NHS England say that practices must make up the time within the following fortnight, the Daily Telegraph revealed. Practices have also been under pressure to offer…

GPs in Northern Ireland are pressing for primary care to get a huge increase in funding as voters go to the polls for regional elections. They have launched a “prescription for general practice” with a call for spending to increase from 8% of the health budget to 11% of the health budget. This would lead…

The latest in our must-have series of guides for primary care; the Confidentiality and Data Protection Handbook [PLUS] is now available to download. Packed with 93-pages it contains everything you need to successfully manage confidentiality and data security, ensuring your organisation is fully compliant. The handbook covers all key areas including: Roles and responsibilities Guidance…

A new project has explored how “safety netting” can be used effectively to improve the timely diagnosis of cancer in UK primary care, researchers have reported. Researchers in Bradford have been developing systems to enable practice staff to explain to patients the uncertainty around symptoms – and when and why they need to report changes…