The government has launched a new consultation on compulsory vaccination for practice staff working in England, it has been announced. It is considering making both COVID and flu vaccination compulsory for all frontline health staff, including those working in the NHS and GP practices. Currently 12% of NHS staff have not had two doses of…

Talks are to resume on next year’s practice contracts following a boycott because of the growing row about access in the months following the pandemic. GP leaders are to return to talks with government officials after the three month boycott following a row about “damaging communications.” The British Medical Association suspended relations with NHS England…

Practices are facing the cancellation of thousands of flu vaccine appointments as the programme became the latest to be hit by the UK’s logistics crisis. Vaccine company Seqirus has warned deliveries may be delayed by up to two weeks because of “freight challenges.” GP leaders and practice managers reacted in dismay, warning that the delays…

Practices have been facing 30% more patient demand than two years ago – before the pandemic, according to one leading partnership. GPs in the Modality Partnership, which includes dozens of practices, are now dealing with 50 contacts a day, significantly more than recommended levels of 30 contacts, according to the Health Service Journal.This contrasts with…

Face masks may become a thing of the past soon. Perhaps in a few years, we’ll only hold on to a vague memory of our masks, even though initially we were obsessed with them and changed them at every opportunity; then a year later, we’re digging one out from the side of the car seat,…

The public recognise that doctor shortages are the key problem in general practice, campaigners say today. A new campaign seeks to turn public opinion following controversy over claims that patients cannot get face to face appointments. The British Medical Association is using the slogan “Support Your Surgery” for the campaign. A major petition calls on…

A new analysis shows how problems in general practices have been growing to critical levels in the last decade. More than 25% of practices were suffering from high GP turnover before the pandemic – a doubling of the number facing this problem, according to a Manchester University study published today. The researchers said the findings…