A campaign has been launched to increase public awareness of professionals other than doctors working in general practice. The campaign aims to help patients know which health workers, such as physiotherapists, they may be able to seek direct appointments with or “self refer”. NHS England says it wants to raise awareness of the physiotherapists, pharmacists,…

A team-based approach can be effective in providing continuity of care for hypertension in general practice, according to a new study. Dr Esther Yee Tak Yu at the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues explain in the British Journal of General Practice that continuity of care has previously been linked to improved health outcomes in…

General practice needs a “safety alert” system to provide back up for practices that cannot cope, the Royal College of GPs has said. The call comes after a survey of college members found that almost half of GPs now believe they do not have enough time to ensure safe outcomes for patients. The survey also…

Growing numbers of GP trainees are planning to quit medicine because of the “unsustainable” workload they have seen experienced by fully qualified GPs, according to a new survey. Many others are planning to work less than full time as they believe that reduced hours will still be the equivalent of full time work, according to…

An influx of new trainee GPs has failed to stem the decline in the availability of doctors in general practice, according to new data. The NHS England data, released yesterday, confirmed fears raised by the Nuffield Trust that expanding trainee numbers is not proving a solution to the problems of general practice. Last month many…

Only a quarter of new GPs are working full time, according to a report that explains why significant increases in trainee numbers are failing to solve the doctor shortage. The Nuffield Trust report calls for fresh ideas to tackle NHS staffing shortages, including student loan repayment. According to the Nuffield Trust, the huge increase in…

GP leaders have accused NHS England of mismanagement over repeated changes to the autumn vaccination programme. The British Medical Association yesterday called for an investigation into the problems with the programme. NHS England has said it had to change the programme because of emerging information about the risks from flu and new COVID variants. GPs…