More than 200,000 people may be waiting for medical assessment for driving licences because of queues for GP services, the British Medical Association says today. Many people are turning to independent doctors to get assessments – but the BMA says this could lead to unfit people getting clearance to drive. It has called on the…

The new leadership of NHS England is planning to end a stand off with GPs by postponing controversial new demands on practices, it has been revealed. Earlier this year the British Medical Association GP committee voted to end talks with NHS England as tensions grew over the pressures on practices. Many practices have been alarmed…

Shortages and inequalities in general practice staffing are disproportionately affecting deprived areas in England, new research is showing. While demand for primary care services has been increasing, staff numbers have not kept up with demand, explain Dr John Ford of the University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues. They add that the gap between the growing…

Health workers should be allowed to use their clinical judgement to decide whether to self-isolate following exposure to COVID-19, the British Medical Association has said. New rules, aimed at ending the “pingdemic”, came into force yesterday allowing double-vaccinated people to carry on with their lives rather than self-isolate when identified as a contact of an…

The government is running out of time to prepare practices for a vaccine booster campaign, a senior GP has warned. Ministers have proposed a double vaccination campaign – with patients receiving a booster for COVID-19 in one arm and a flu vaccine in the other.Practices are still waiting for details, Dr Steve Mowle, treasurer of…

About half of GPs have experienced recent abuse with a fifth facing serious threats, according to the disturbing findings of a survey published today. Overall, as many as a third of doctors have faced abuse from patients or people accompanying patients, according to the British Medical Association survey of more than 2,400 doctors. The survey…

GP leaders have angrily accused civil servants of making politically inspired changes to doctor numbers – reducing the decline in GPs over the last six years. NHS Digital released new data on GP and practice staff numbers in England, using new calculations dating back to 2015. Under the new system, there is a decline of…