In our regular news review the GPonline team looks at what’s happened to the GP workforce over the course of the five year contract, in particular the number of GP partners. They also talk about the cost to the NHS of not retaining doctors following some BMA research and the government’s view of the workforce crisis.

They discuss the issue of drug shortages and how it is affecting GPs and patients and look at the government’s plans to tackle the ‘sick note culture’ that could see GPs lose their role signing fit notes and big changes to benefits for those with disabilities and long-term illness.

Our good news story this week about a crowdfunder that’s raised money to support a popular local GP in her bid to keep her practice after it was put out to tender.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Which ICB areas are losing GP partners fastest?

General practice lost 2,900 partners as GP workforce shrank during five-year contract

GPs condemn 'ridiculous' practice underfunding as registrars fear unemployment

Leadsom claims there are '3,000 more GPs than in 2019'

Patients left without medication as record drug shortages hit GP prescribing

Constant NHS medicines shortages 'the new normal', report warns

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Emma speaks to Jake Beech, a policy fellow from the think tank the Health Foundation, about why we need to change the way we think about access in general practice.

Jake is involved with a research project that’s a partnership between the Health Foundation and THIS Institute looking at what access in general practice means. The project is developing a ‘candidacy framework’ that provides a series of interventions and ideas for improving access.

Jake explains why access is much more complex and nuanced than just thinking about supply and demand and how practices could use the candidacy framework to help understand their patients and develop solutions to suit their needs.

He also talks about the limitations with the national data on general practice appointments which are often used by policymakers to make decisions and why patient satisfaction with access is so low despite the fact that practices are delivering more appointments than ever before.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Health Foundation report - Rethinking access to general practice: it’s not all about supply

Get all the latest news affecting general practice from our website GPonline.com

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This week the GPonline team talks about how untapped capacity among GP locums could help deliver hundreds of thousands of extra GP appointments every week, and what this all means in light of the current challenges sessional GPs are facing finding work.

They also discuss NHS England’s evidence to the Doctors and Dentists Review Body, which is due to make recommendations on whether GP funding should be increased further this year - as well as some of the steps practices are being forced to consider to cope with the tiny 1.9% funding increase they have currently been given.

There’s also news about a contract deal for GPs in Northern Ireland that could be agreed by the time this episode comes out, and they discuss NHS England’s decision to U-turn on funding cuts it was planning to make to NHS Practitioner Health - the specialist mental health service for doctors and NHS staff.

Our good news story this week is about a practice that has won a national small business award.

You can listen to the podcast interview with NHS Practitioner Health’s medical director Helen Garr here.

NHS Practitioner Health’s website is here.

Other useful links

Untapped locum capacity could deliver 250,000 extra GP appointments a week

GP workforce, funding and continuity all linked to higher life expectancy

Northern Ireland GPs near landmark deal to cover indemnity costs and abolish QOF

NHS evidence on GP pay 'completely out of date'

Practices weigh up cutting services, staff and partner drawings in coming year

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