Practices will face new patient rating systems and league tables as part of a long-promised rescue package, announced today. The proposals were met with dismay by practice leaders as they mixed threats with limited funding to help relieve pressures. NHS England released its proposals – as government sources claimed that the proposals will “name and…

New evidence has emerged of the pressures on many practices following controversial reporting of an in-depth study into GP working practices. An analysis found huge variations in the number of patients per GP – with numbers ranging from 2,821 in Hull to 1,279 in Wirral. Overall, England has on average one working GP for every…

A practice in Northern Ireland has been named practice of the year after its staff were praised for dealing with all queries in a “helpful, caring and understanding manner.” Doctors, nurses and staff in reception at the Greenway Practice, Belfast, all gained praise from the patient who nominated it to the Royal College of GPs…

Practices had to cancel hundreds of home visits because of fuel shortages, according to a new survey. Doctors across England, but especially in the South East, have had problems obtaining fuel, according to the British Medical Association. In London and the south east, doctors fear continuing problems, lasting for weeks, according to the BMA survey.…

Practices are struggling to recruit staff amid growing abuse from the public and the media over the difficulty in obtaining appointments, it has been reported. The growing crisis has led the British Medical Association to launch a survey of GPs about how they might respond. The media storm over allegations that practices are avoiding face…

Practices delivered three million more face to face appointments in August than a year earlier – representing the majority of appointments, according to new data. However, in a statistic that provided fuel to critics of the move to phone triage, the number of face to face appointments was also five million less than in August…

The first edition of the CQC (Care Quality Commission) Handbook [PLUS] is now available to download. This is a must-have document, packed with information and links to additional resources. It is THE ultimate guide to understanding the CQC and how your practice can be CQC compliant. The handbook covers: An overview of the CQC Registering…