Talking General Practice

This week Emma speaks to Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, the chair of the BMA England GP committee, about what the future holds for general practice Katie explains why this year’s contract deal is the start of a long journey of recovery for general practice and the basis on which to create a more positive future for the profession. Now that the government has agreed to negotiate a completely new GP contract, Katie explains what her priorities will be in those contract negotiations and how the BMA will be making the case for greater investment in general practice. She talks about whether general practice should be directly reimbursed for staff costs, what should replace the Carr-Hill formula and whether it’s now time to define what core services in general practice actually are. Katie also explains why GPs need to keep up the pressure in their area to secure better funding for local enhanced services, how she thinks neighbourhoods could impact on general practice and also why she feels more hopeful about the future than at any other point since she qualified as a GP. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful links Full GPonline coverage of the 2025/26 GP contract [https://www.gponline.com/gpcontract] Define GP core services or risk unfunded work transfer from hospitals, LMCs to warn [https://www.gponline.com/define-gp-core-services-risk-unfunded-work-transfer-hospitals-lmcs-warn/article/1915140] BMA guidance on the 2025/26 GP contract [https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/contracts/gp-contract/gp-contract-changes-england-202526] BMA safe working guidance [https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/managing-workload/safe-working-in-general-practice] Patients first – Why general practice is broken and how can we fix it [https://www.bma.org.uk/our-campaigns/gp-campaigns/contracts/patients-first] - BMA manifesto ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice. This week the team looks at GP recruitment under the additional roles reimbursement scheme and what new figures tell us about how that initiative is working. They also talk about cuts to integrated care boards, what that could mean for general practice and how the financial constraints within the NHS are already impacting on funding for local services provided by GPs. Our good news story is about funding for research in GP practices. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful links Map: Which areas have recruited the most ARRS GPs? [https://www.gponline.com/map-areas-recruited-arrs-gps/article/1913616] Hundreds of PCNs yet to hire a single ARRS GP [https://www.gponline.com/hundreds-pcns-yet-hire-single-arrs-gp/article/1913679] ICB cuts 'could slow down move to neighbourhood NHS' [https://www.gponline.com/icb-cuts-could-slow-down-move-neighbourhood-nhs/article/1913412] 200 practices could boycott LESs after ICB cut millions from funding offer [https://www.gponline.com/200-practices-boycott-less-icb-cut-millions-funding-offer/article/1913214] What could ICB cuts mean for general practice? [https://www.gponline.com/icb-cuts-mean-general-practice/article/1912490]   ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

This week Emma speaks to Professor Naomi Allen, chief scientist at UK Biobank, a biomedical database and research resource that contains data, information and biological samples from half a million UK participants. Naomi, who is also a professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford, explains how UK Biobank was established, how it works, and the wealth of data it holds. Naomi also discusses the crucial role primary care data will play and explains how it will be incorporated into UK Biobank in the coming months. And she outlines some of the groundbreaking research that has already been conducted using UK Biobank data and how this could revolutionise patient care in general practice in the future. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful links UK Biobank’s website [https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/] Details on how to access UK Biobank data as a researcher [https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/enable-your-research] Information about UK Biobank and GP patient data [https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/gp-data-of-uk-biobank-participants] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

On this week’s podcast Emma and Nick talk about how this year’s GP contract will affect practices’ finances and look at details of the advice and guidance enhanced service after final contract documents were published. Kimberley explains how collective action has helped one LMC secure a significant uplift to local enhanced service funding. And Nick talks through the results of this year’s British Social Attitudes survey, which was widely reported and shows satisfaction with the NHS and general practice has continued to fall. He explains why these results don’t tell the whole story of what’s going on in general practice. Our good news story this week is about GP practices signing up to become parkrun practices. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful links GP contract threatens ‘vast gaps’ between practices and ARRS shortfall, expert warns [https://www.gponline.com/gp-contract-threatens-vast-gaps-practices-arrs-shortfall-expert-warns/article/1912629] ICB 'interface' groups to oversee expansion of advice and guidance [https://www.gponline.com/icb-interface-groups-oversee-expansion-advice-guidance/article/1912446] ICB nearly triples LES budget after collective action and LMC talks [https://www.gponline.com/icb-nearly-triples-les-budget-collective-action-lmc-talks/article/1912415] GPs question major poll showing patient satisfaction at new low [https://www.gponline.com/gps-question-major-poll-showing-patient-satisfaction-new-low/article/1912589] Landmark for GPs as 2,000th practice joins parkrun scheme [https://www.gponline.com/landmark-gps-2000th-practice-joins-parkrun-scheme/article/1912112] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

This week’s episode looks at GPs with extended roles and how they could help move services out of hospitals and into the community, reduce waiting times for patients and boost GP retention. Emma is speaking to Dr Charlie Andrews, a GP partner and a GP with an extended role in gastroenterology. Charlie is the driving force behind a programme in the south west of England that trains GPs with extended roles in gastroenterology. This has been the basis for a new framework for GPs with extended roles that has been endorsed by the Primary Care Gastroenterology Society and the British Society of Gastroenterology. Charlie explains how the training programme works and the potential for GPs with extended roles to improve referral pathways and tackle some of the challenges facing the NHS, including workforce issues. He also talks about why the framework should be used by ICBs to develop GPs with extended roles in gastroenterology across England and how it could provide a model for other clinical specialties to develop GPs with extended roles. Charlie is happy for anyone who wants to discuss the training programme or anything to do with GPwER in gastroenterology to contact him by email on charles.andrews@nhs.net [charles.andrews@nhs.net].   This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful links The GPwER in gastroenterology framework [https://www.pcsg.org.uk/the-gpwer/] RCGP information on GPwERs [https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-extended-roles] - including links to frameworks for some other specialties ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.