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Fear of complaints push 79% of GPs to practise ‘defensive medicine’ ... Ps. As a result of this increase in complaints across the board, GPs say that are practising in a way they do not feel best, which is also having implications for workload and patient access. As one GP put it: ‘I have found myself practising more defensive medicine at times, perhaps investigating or referring where previously I might have watched and waited. Despite time constraints, I fin ... Date: 10-06-2026 Categories: • Making complaints work • Regulation
Study finds long-lasting emotional impact on GPs after patient safety incidents ... systems all have a role in creating compassionate, blame-free environments where clinicians feel supported to reflect, learn, recover, and continue providing safe care,’ he said. Heavy workloads, limited time and resources, fear of judgement, professional isolation, and stressful external investigations, including referral to the GMC often made it more difficult for clinicians to seek support and recov ... Date: 08-06-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Regulation
Last chance to register for the Community Pharmacy & General Practice Conference ... pe Akomolafe, GP and medical director at Christchurch Health Centre, said: 'For the first time in the history of the NHS, primary care stakeholders will come together at scale to collaborate, rethink workload and design solutions that actually work. This isn’t another talk shop – it’s a call to action. Let’s put heads together and secure the future of our NHS.' Akomolafe’s comments reflect the aim of t ... Date: 04-06-2026 Categories: • CPD
NHS England ‘hyper-focus’ on access has cut GP capacity to manage frailty, MPs warn GPs are struggling to assess and manage vulnerable patients with frailty because NHS England has ‘overloaded’ GPs with the push for digital access, a committee of MPs has warned. A ‘hyper-focus’ on access ... Date: 04-06-2026 Categories: • Elderly care • Mental health, pain and addiction • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine
Carr-Hill GP formula should be updated to reflect morbidity and deprivation, say researchers The workload element of the Carr-Hill formula for GP funding should be replaced with 'updated weights reflecting morbidity and deprivation', adjusted for practice capacity and unmet need, a new study has argued. ... Date: 02-06-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance
Why do GPs take on unfunded LES work? ... whenever anyone says this phrase, it’s a big red flag that you’re being asked to take on extra workload that’s not yours,’ says Surrey GP partner Dr Dave Triska. ‘Almost invariably, when that sentence appears somewhere, what’s coming after it is something that’s not your actual job.’ He says that in some cases, returning inappropriate workload transfer back to secondary care it is met with a response simi ... Date: 29-05-2026 Categories: • The LES Lottery
GPs must routinely prescribe physical activity to older people, say MPs ... it suggested. In response, the RCGP said that delivering this kind of proactive, preventative care well 'takes time' and it is 'increasingly challenging' against a backdrop of 'significant' workload and workforce pressures. The report questioned NHS England’s decision to reduce its focus on social prescribing, given the potential benefits. Research by the National Academy for Social Prescribing sho ... Date: 29-05-2026 Categories: • Elderly care • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine
Pharmacy First expanded to include independent prescribing and 'ease pressure on GPs' ... ls back to GPs’ and that the changes, announced today as part of the 2026/27 community pharmacy contractual framework, will be rolled out from this Autumn. Pharmacy First has aimed to shift of workload to pharmacies from GP practices, by allowing direct prescribing for seven common conditions, but has attracted criticism due to some pharmacies directing patients back to general practice for a ... Date: 29-05-2026 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Workload
GPs to be balloted on 'plan B' including providing private services, BMA confirms ... ssion itself within the NHS, is at an all-time low. 'Warnings have been repeatedly ignored by politicians that long-term under-investment in general practice, coupled with rising workloads, increasingly complex patient need, workforce attrition and contractual arrangements that leave practices vulnerable, will lead to GPs and practices being unable to deliver safe and sustainable care to their NHS pati ... Date: 27-05-2026 Categories: • Breaking news
BMA to oppose Government replacing GMS negotiations with 'informal processes' ... opriate dispute-escalation measures to protect the integrity of the GMS contract'. It said: 'This meeting asserts that substantive changes to the GMS contract, including funding, workload, premises, or regulatory requirements, must occur only through formal national negotiations with the BMA as the recognised representative body for GPs; [it] rejects any efforts to bypass, dilute, or re-label contract ... Date: 27-05-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract
Investigation: How ICB variation has created a LES lottery ... are commissioned, amended, or withdrawn with no meaningful discussion or consultation with LMCs, and no assessment of workload impact on practices.’ GPs in Hampshire are paid £52.30 to perform and interpret each spirometry test, and an additional £2,360 per 10,000 patients on their list. ‘At best, it breaks even,’ says Hampshire GP Dr Matt Prendergast. ‘It probably makes a sma ... Date: 26-05-2026 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Respiratory • The LES Lottery
LMCs demand fairer funding for GPs to provide local enhanced services ... ant and what they are willing to pay.’ He added: ‘Services are commissioned, amended, or withdrawn with no meaningful discussion or consultation with LMCs, and no assessment of workload impact on practices.’ Arguing for the motion, Dr Peter Kenworthy (Gateshead and South Tyneside LMC) shared how his ICB (North East and North Cumbria) had offered a medicines LES as a&n ... Date: 21-05-2026 Categories: • Contract • Practice and personal finance
Financial incentives for GPs 'effective' to help reduce demand on fit notes, Government finds Financial incentives for GPs referring patients to a scheme designed to reduce demand for fit notes could improve its chances of success, a new Government evaluation has found. The WorkWell ... Date: 21-05-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine • Workload
GPs in four areas of England to pilot new fit note approach from July ... he RCGP said that they are 'open to exploring evidence-based reforms' that could help improve outcomes for patients, but that any reform of the fit note process must 'avoid creating additional workload for general practice'. Following the pilots’ findings, the Government will then bring forward legislation to reform the fit note system, it said. The Government will also publish documents from its ... Date: 20-05-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine • Workforce
BMA pushing back against 'endless' access targets, says GP leader The BMA’s GP committee is continuing to push for safeguards against ‘endless’ access targets, the leader of English GPs said, after she revealed NHS England had proposed a ‘mini QOF’ of access metrics as par ... Date: 19-05-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Workload
GP leaders warn Health Bill gives ministers sweeping powers over patient data ... nbsp;or other confidential issues - being more widely accessible across the NHS. There are also practical concerns for GPs about additional workload, governance responsibilities, and medico-legal liability.’ NHS England has pushed back on some of the patient data concerns raised by GP leaders. In an op-ed for Pulse, Dr Phil Koczan, a clinical adviser at NHS England and a GP and RCG ... Date: 18-05-2026 Categories: • Politics • Technology
Elective wait list target met for first time in years amid A&G expansion The Government last week hailed meeting the 18-week wait target for the first time in years, but the milestone comes amid warnings that workload is shifting to general practice. In March, 65.3% of patients were waiting 18-weeks, as the waiting list fell by over 312,000 last year, the largest annual reduction in 16 years, NHS England said. ... Date: 18-05-2026 Categories: • Referrals • Workload
UK GP leaders vote to explore 'dentist' model 'outside the NHS' ... currently by NHS dentists. Proposing the motion, Dr Michael McKenna, from Eastern Northern Ireland LMC, said: 'The current NHS contract model is no longer capable of sustaining the workload, the complexity or the risk that modern general practice carries. 'We are being asked to deliver unlimited access on a budget that shrinks every year, and the result is predictable: exhausted clinicians, collaps ... Date: 14-05-2026 Categories: • Breaking news • Contract • LMCs conferences
A&G must be 'optional' or it will delay patient care, warn GP leaders from across the UK ... uidance pathways. 'Whilst advice and guidance can be a useful clinical tool, it must support patient care, it must not be a barrier to access specialist care. 'These systems are increasing GP workload, delaying patient care and shifting unfunded secondary care work into general practice in a way that is unsafe and unsustainable. 'Too often, the specialist advice that we receive is poor quality ... Date: 13-05-2026 Categories: • Dermatology and wound care • LMCs conferences • Referrals
LMCs demand UK Governments agree 'safe limits' to GP access UK GP leaders have asked the BMA to lobby governments to agree clear limits to GP access, and offer legal support to practices who take steps to limit workload. At their conference in Belfast today, LMC representatives from around the UK voted in favour of a motion insisting that 'agreed safe limits' are adopted by governments, commissioners and NHS bodi ... Date: 13-05-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • LMCs conferences • Workload
Hospital trust stops consultants refusing GP referrals by downgrading to A&G ... face”, and our offer is we'll see them in the next 10 days. 'It is the best thing we've ever done as a trust.’ Dr Munshi also challenged GPs concerned about inappropriate workload transfer to ensure they make contact with hospitals. He said: ‘If you say to me that your hospital just won't talk to you, I am going to challenge you back and say, “Have you actually recently emailed them and said we' ... Date: 12-05-2026 Categories: • Healthcare inequalities • Referrals
GPs should refuse to pilot neighbourhoods if funding is insufficient, says BMA ... roached by their ICB about taking part in such a pilot. It’s important that all parts of the PCN are aware of what is being proposed and the potential impact in terms of funding and workload for all member practices. ‘Where ICBs are proposing changes that impose significant additional workload, and/or lack sufficient additional financial resource PCNs are strongly advised to reject participating in the ... Date: 11-05-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Practice and personal finance
Last chance to register for free Pulse virtual event featuring new NICE diabetes guidance ... P leaders told Pulse at the time that they will need 'appropriate support' to implement NICE's guidelines 'consistently and safely', with concerns around a rise in prescribing and monitoring workload previously being raised. Dr Ogunmekan's session will focus on: Understanding NICE's approach to managing Type 2 diabetes; Recognising how treatment choices are tailored based on comorbidities , hy ... Date: 11-05-2026 Categories: • Cardiovascular • CPD • Diabetes and endocrinology • Gastroenterology and obesity
Baroness Gerada: 'General practice is being turned into an acute triage service' ... in the cancer debate. So twice in one week they had heard us, and they had directly linked the problems with vaccinations that we're seeing now with the workload issues of GPs - because we are not able to do what we want to do, which is chase and innovate. And so, my feeling is that we have got to talk to the right people. We also need people to see what a week in the life of an average GP looks like, ... Date: 08-05-2026 Categories: • Big Interviews
Any new GP access target must take pressures into account, says RCGP 'Significant' workload pressure on GPs must be taken into account before any new access targets are introduced by the Government, the RCGP has warned. According to information obtained by HSJ, it is considering a target ... Date: 07-05-2026 Categories: • Workload
Miscarriage support should be offered earlier, NHS study shows ... indicates that providing support after a first miscarriage, with escalating care after further losses, is not only effective but achievable without significant additional workload for NHS teams who are already working extremely hard to deliver good care.’ Scotland has already embedded the new model into its miscarriage care pathway she added. Baroness Merron, parliamentary under-secretary of state a ... Date: 06-05-2026 Categories: • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics
GPs need to join the table or 'be on the menu', says former BMA and GPC chair If general practice is ‘not at the table’ when discussions around NHS reform are happening, it will ‘unfortunately be on the menu’, former BMA council and GP committee chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul has said. Du ... Date: 06-05-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Politics
'GPs cannot deliver fit note reform on their own' Fit notes need backing beyond what GPs can offer if they are to support a return to work, argues Health Foundation policy and research manager Sam Atwell Working‑age health has climbed sharply up the Gove ... Date: 01-05-2026 Categories: • Guest opinion
Government must recognise and pay GPs for ‘hidden workload’, says RCGP The RCGP has called on the Government to recognise the ‘hidden workload’ GPs undertake and pay them fairly for it. Tackling the GP workload crisis, which included a survey of 2,316 GPs, said funding ‘should reflect the full scope ... Date: 30-04-2026 Categories: • Referrals • Workload
Government confirms new practice-level reimbursement scheme only covers salaried GPs ... t on funding for more doctors.’Reimbursement claims must be made via the CQRS system within a three-month window which Mr Pow said will increase administrative workload and also risk non-payment if the window is missed.He added: ‘This is part of an increasing trend to narrow the time frame for claiming income which puts an increased risk on practices. Cashflow will also need to be managed since claims can ... Date: 30-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Breaking news • Workforce
GP leaders voting on same-day access concession offer made by NHS England Exclusive NHS England has written to the BMA's GP Committee with a concession offer regarding same-day access, which may see practices able to agree to reduce non-urgent access in exceptional circumstances. ... Date: 30-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract
GPs don’t need to be '100% sure' of patient cause of death, says medical examiner Exclusive GPs don't need to be ‘100% sure’ of a patient’s cause of death when signing a death certificate - but should be able to explain their clinical reasoning, a medical examiner has said. Dr Faheem S ... Date: 28-04-2026 Categories: • Elderly care • Workload
GP contract analysis warns of A&G unfunded cost pressures Exclusive New advice and guidance (A&G) requirements will cause cost pressures for GP practices due to a ‘significant increase in unfunded workload’, a large group of LMCs has warned. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire (BBO) LMCs has published its own analysis of the imposed 2026/27 contract, warning that practices are ‘certainly i ... Date: 24-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Practice and personal finance
NHS England considering self-testing routes for cholesterol and prostate cancer ... an cause unnecessary anxiety or lead to further avoidable demand on GP services'. ‘General practice is already under significant workload and workforce pressure, so it’s essential that any new testing initiatives are properly resourced and designed to complement, rather than add to, existing pressures,' she said. Professor Azeem Majeed, a GP and head of the Department of Primary Care & Public He ... Date: 24-04-2026 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Gastroenterology and obesity • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Sexual health • Workload
GPs likely to see increased workload due to ramipril shortage Shortages of commonly prescribed blood pressure medication ramipril will have knock-on impacts for general practice, a leading GP has warned. The Government has issued a serious shortage protocol notice f ... Date: 24-04-2026 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Long-term conditions and prescribing
NHS England backtracks on target for one in four GP referrals to be diverted via A&G ... by a specialist consultant. 'Doing so would have undermined clinical decision-making and risked increasing workload in general practice at a time when GPs and our teams are already working under significant pressures, as well as creating barriers to appropriate and timely patient care. 'As these plans are taken forward, it will be crucial to ensure timely specialist responses, genuinely integrate ... Date: 23-04-2026 Categories: • Breaking news • Referrals
GPs warn of patient safety risks amid ongoing IT outage in one area ... tem login'. 'When this occurs, practices are unable to function normally, leading to disruption to patient care and experience, alongside significant additional workload and stress for GP teams managing the resulting backlogs.' He added: ‘GPs and staff are now starting each day not knowing whether their systems will work, adding to the uncertainty and pressure on already stretch ... Date: 22-04-2026 Categories: • Technology
UK LMC conference to vote on plans for taking GPs outside NHS ... sted, subscription-based service’, such as those being offered currently by NHS dentists. The conference agenda also includes motions asking the BMA to lobby for clear limits to GP workload and offer legal support to those who take steps to limit workload. The motion on a 'plan B' for general practice said: 'Conference recognises that current GP contracts are failing patients and practices alike, th ... Date: 21-04-2026 Categories: • Breaking news
DWP proposes 60% fee increase for GP factual reports GPs have been asked for their views on a proposed fee rise for general practice factual report (GPFR) rates, which would come with several conditions. The BMA said that the Department for Work and Pensio ... Date: 21-04-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance • Workload
'Continuity of care should not be a luxury' ... doctor model risks losing this model entirely. Workforce shortages are a central issue. Many experienced GPs are reducing their hours or leaving the profession altogether due to unsustainable workloads and administrative burden and recruitment struggles to fill the gap. At the same time, practices are being asked to do more, often without the resources needed to do it safely. This creates a system whe ... Date: 20-04-2026 Categories: • Guest opinion
Single-word ratings linked to GP suicide concerns in CQC consultation report ... practice staff.’ A spokesperson for NHS Practitioner Health, the national GP mental health support service, told Pulse: 'Around half of those who access NHS Practitioner Health cite workload issues, struggling and feeling overwhelmed as factors contributing to their stress or anxiety. 'Even the most experienced GP can be faced with an issue that represents “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” - ... Date: 17-04-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Regulation
Analysis: The workforce data behind the 3.5% GP pay rise recommendation Emma Wilkinson analyses the in-depth workforce data underpinning the pay review body's recommendation for a 3.5% pay uplift this year. A recommendation from the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB)& ... Date: 14-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Practice and personal finance • Pulse careers
GP practices to choose from 'menu' of options to access new workforce funding ... hrough allocations to NHS boards. Payments for the first tranche, worth £35m for this financial year, will be distributed to practices ‘proportionately’ based on combined Scottish Workload Formula and Income and Expenses Guarantee payments, the Government added. As part of the requirements to secure the second tranche - £15m for this financial year - practices will need to set out a plan by mid-May, ... Date: 14-04-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance • Scotland • Workforce
Last chance to take part in Pulse's survey and be in with a chance of winning £500 THIS SURVEY HAS NOW CLOSED Our latest survey of GPs across the UK aims to better understand the current recruitment and unemployment crisis within general practice, and the workload involved with processing complaints. Other topics include estates funding, local enhanced services and the neighbourhood contracts for GPs in England. The survey will close tomorrow morning - 9 ... Date: 13-04-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance
CQC reveals how it intends to assess GP practices in new draft framework ... an expansion of expectations, requiring additional administrative and strategic work on top of an already heavy clinical workload. ‘While many GPs may welcome the greater use of AI tools, the evidence for their benefits in primary care is currently very limited. It is important that an emphasis on AI does not inadvertently push practices into investing in tools that may have limited impact on are ... Date: 13-04-2026 Categories: • Referrals • Regulation • Technology
'Inappropriate' workload transfer to primary care poses 'crucial risk' for patients, ICB warns An ICB has warned of the 'crucial risk' to patient safety caused by ‘inappropriate' workload transfer from hospital trusts to primary care. North Central London (NCL) ICB’s primary care committee said 'long-standing interface challenges' were creating a 'crucial risk to end-t ... Date: 10-04-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Workload
GPs told to ensure they are not breaching contract when using AI receptionists ... ria ICB with local practices, said that a number of suppliers are now offering virtual receptionist solutions to GP practices, which provide an AI call handling service, designed to ‘ease the workload of reception staff’ and are able to answer multiple calls simultaneously. NHS England told practices that they should be ‘aware’ of potential breaches of GP contract related to using AI receptionists. &nb ... Date: 09-04-2026 Categories: • Technology
Lack of guidance sparks GP confusion around contract changes implementation ... w its use varies across the country, how delays and potentially blocked referrals can jeopardise patient safety, and how it can push workload from secondary to primary care without clear resourcing, consistent clinical governance, or sufficient consideration of the downstream consequences for GP capacity and the quality-of-care patients receive. ‘An SPoA approach must not delay or ... Date: 07-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Contract • Practice and personal finance • Referrals
'How GP fellowships worked for me - and why they might be right for you too' ... ects of my New to Practice Fellowship experience was structured mentorship and peer networking. These networks create safe environments where early career clinicians can openly discuss uncertainties, workload pressures and career direction. For me, this support normalised many of the anxieties that new GPs rarely admit publicly. Perhaps most importantly, the programme actively recognises that early bur ... Date: 31-03-2026 Categories: • Career views
Funding needs to 'double' while shifting care to GPs, Welsh Government told ... e 'enabler' of this, according to a new report by the Welsh Parliament’s (Senedd) Health and Social Care Committee. The Future of General Practice in Wales also recommends formalising workload sharing between primary and secondary care; suggests measures to address the inverse care law; and introduce stricter standards for GPs to meet access requirements. The report, which ... Date: 30-03-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Politics • Practice and personal finance • Wales

Fear of complaints push 79% of GPs to practise ‘defensive medicine’ ... Ps. As a result of this increase in complaints across the board, GPs say that are practising in a way they do not feel best, which is also having implications for workload and patient access. As one GP put it: ‘I have found myself practising more defensive medicine at times, perhaps investigating or referring where previously I might have watched and waited. Despite time constraints, I fin ... Date: 10-06-2026 Categories: • Making complaints work • Regulation

Study finds long-lasting emotional impact on GPs after patient safety incidents ... systems all have a role in creating compassionate, blame-free environments where clinicians feel supported to reflect, learn, recover, and continue providing safe care,’ he said. Heavy workloads, limited time and resources, fear of judgement, professional isolation, and stressful external investigations, including referral to the GMC often made it more difficult for clinicians to seek support and recov ... Date: 08-06-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Regulation

Last chance to register for the Community Pharmacy & General Practice Conference ... pe Akomolafe, GP and medical director at Christchurch Health Centre, said: 'For the first time in the history of the NHS, primary care stakeholders will come together at scale to collaborate, rethink workload and design solutions that actually work. This isn’t another talk shop – it’s a call to action. Let’s put heads together and secure the future of our NHS.' Akomolafe’s comments reflect the aim of t ... Date: 04-06-2026 Categories: • CPD

NHS England ‘hyper-focus’ on access has cut GP capacity to manage frailty, MPs warn GPs are struggling to assess and manage vulnerable patients with frailty because NHS England has ‘overloaded’ GPs with the push for digital access, a committee of MPs has warned. A ‘hyper-focus’ on access ... Date: 04-06-2026 Categories: • Elderly care • Mental health, pain and addiction • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine

Carr-Hill GP formula should be updated to reflect morbidity and deprivation, say researchers The workload element of the Carr-Hill formula for GP funding should be replaced with 'updated weights reflecting morbidity and deprivation', adjusted for practice capacity and unmet need, a new study has argued. ... Date: 02-06-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance

Why do GPs take on unfunded LES work? ... whenever anyone says this phrase, it’s a big red flag that you’re being asked to take on extra workload that’s not yours,’ says Surrey GP partner Dr Dave Triska. ‘Almost invariably, when that sentence appears somewhere, what’s coming after it is something that’s not your actual job.’ He says that in some cases, returning inappropriate workload transfer back to secondary care it is met with a response simi ... Date: 29-05-2026 Categories: • The LES Lottery

GPs must routinely prescribe physical activity to older people, say MPs ... it suggested. In response, the RCGP said that delivering this kind of proactive, preventative care well 'takes time' and it is 'increasingly challenging' against a backdrop of 'significant' workload and workforce pressures. The report questioned NHS England’s decision to reduce its focus on social prescribing, given the potential benefits. Research by the National Academy for Social Prescribing sho ... Date: 29-05-2026 Categories: • Elderly care • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine

Pharmacy First expanded to include independent prescribing and 'ease pressure on GPs' ... ls back to GPs’ and that the changes, announced today as part of the 2026/27 community pharmacy contractual framework, will be rolled out from this Autumn. Pharmacy First has aimed to shift of workload to pharmacies from GP practices, by allowing direct prescribing for seven common conditions, but has attracted criticism due to some pharmacies directing patients back to general practice for a ... Date: 29-05-2026 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Workload

GPs to be balloted on 'plan B' including providing private services, BMA confirms ... ssion itself within the NHS, is at an all-time low. 'Warnings have been repeatedly ignored by politicians that long-term under-investment in general practice, coupled with rising workloads, increasingly complex patient need, workforce attrition and contractual arrangements that leave practices vulnerable, will lead to GPs and practices being unable to deliver safe and sustainable care to their NHS pati ... Date: 27-05-2026 Categories: • Breaking news

BMA to oppose Government replacing GMS negotiations with 'informal processes' ... opriate dispute-escalation measures to protect the integrity of the GMS contract'. It said: 'This meeting asserts that substantive changes to the GMS contract, including funding, workload, premises, or regulatory requirements, must occur only through formal national negotiations with the BMA as the recognised representative body for GPs; [it] rejects any efforts to bypass, dilute, or re-label contract ... Date: 27-05-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract

Investigation: How ICB variation has created a LES lottery ... are commissioned, amended, or withdrawn with no meaningful discussion or consultation with LMCs, and no assessment of workload impact on practices.’ GPs in Hampshire are paid £52.30 to perform and interpret each spirometry test, and an additional £2,360 per 10,000 patients on their list. ‘At best, it breaks even,’ says Hampshire GP Dr Matt Prendergast. ‘It probably makes a sma ... Date: 26-05-2026 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Respiratory • The LES Lottery

LMCs demand fairer funding for GPs to provide local enhanced services ... ant and what they are willing to pay.’ He added: ‘Services are commissioned, amended, or withdrawn with no meaningful discussion or consultation with LMCs, and no assessment of workload impact on practices.’ Arguing for the motion, Dr Peter Kenworthy (Gateshead and South Tyneside LMC) shared how his ICB (North East and North Cumbria) had offered a medicines LES as a&n ... Date: 21-05-2026 Categories: • Contract • Practice and personal finance

Financial incentives for GPs 'effective' to help reduce demand on fit notes, Government finds Financial incentives for GPs referring patients to a scheme designed to reduce demand for fit notes could improve its chances of success, a new Government evaluation has found. The WorkWell ... Date: 21-05-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine • Workload

GPs in four areas of England to pilot new fit note approach from July ... he RCGP said that they are 'open to exploring evidence-based reforms' that could help improve outcomes for patients, but that any reform of the fit note process must 'avoid creating additional workload for general practice'. Following the pilots’ findings, the Government will then bring forward legislation to reform the fit note system, it said. The Government will also publish documents from its ... Date: 20-05-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and sports medicine • Workforce

BMA pushing back against 'endless' access targets, says GP leader The BMA’s GP committee is continuing to push for safeguards against ‘endless’ access targets, the leader of English GPs said, after she revealed NHS England had proposed a ‘mini QOF’ of access metrics as par ... Date: 19-05-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Workload

GP leaders warn Health Bill gives ministers sweeping powers over patient data ... nbsp;or other confidential issues - being more widely accessible across the NHS. There are also practical concerns for GPs about additional workload, governance responsibilities, and medico-legal liability.’ NHS England has pushed back on some of the patient data concerns raised by GP leaders. In an op-ed for Pulse, Dr Phil Koczan, a clinical adviser at NHS England and a GP and RCG ... Date: 18-05-2026 Categories: • Politics • Technology

Elective wait list target met for first time in years amid A&G expansion The Government last week hailed meeting the 18-week wait target for the first time in years, but the milestone comes amid warnings that workload is shifting to general practice. In March, 65.3% of patients were waiting 18-weeks, as the waiting list fell by over 312,000 last year, the largest annual reduction in 16 years, NHS England said. ... Date: 18-05-2026 Categories: • Referrals • Workload

UK GP leaders vote to explore 'dentist' model 'outside the NHS' ... currently by NHS dentists. Proposing the motion, Dr Michael McKenna, from Eastern Northern Ireland LMC, said: 'The current NHS contract model is no longer capable of sustaining the workload, the complexity or the risk that modern general practice carries. 'We are being asked to deliver unlimited access on a budget that shrinks every year, and the result is predictable: exhausted clinicians, collaps ... Date: 14-05-2026 Categories: • Breaking news • Contract • LMCs conferences

A&G must be 'optional' or it will delay patient care, warn GP leaders from across the UK ... uidance pathways. 'Whilst advice and guidance can be a useful clinical tool, it must support patient care, it must not be a barrier to access specialist care. 'These systems are increasing GP workload, delaying patient care and shifting unfunded secondary care work into general practice in a way that is unsafe and unsustainable. 'Too often, the specialist advice that we receive is poor quality ... Date: 13-05-2026 Categories: • Dermatology and wound care • LMCs conferences • Referrals

LMCs demand UK Governments agree 'safe limits' to GP access UK GP leaders have asked the BMA to lobby governments to agree clear limits to GP access, and offer legal support to practices who take steps to limit workload. At their conference in Belfast today, LMC representatives from around the UK voted in favour of a motion insisting that 'agreed safe limits' are adopted by governments, commissioners and NHS bodi ... Date: 13-05-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • LMCs conferences • Workload

Hospital trust stops consultants refusing GP referrals by downgrading to A&G ... face”, and our offer is we'll see them in the next 10 days. 'It is the best thing we've ever done as a trust.’ Dr Munshi also challenged GPs concerned about inappropriate workload transfer to ensure they make contact with hospitals. He said: ‘If you say to me that your hospital just won't talk to you, I am going to challenge you back and say, “Have you actually recently emailed them and said we' ... Date: 12-05-2026 Categories: • Healthcare inequalities • Referrals

GPs should refuse to pilot neighbourhoods if funding is insufficient, says BMA ... roached by their ICB about taking part in such a pilot. It’s important that all parts of the PCN are aware of what is being proposed and the potential impact in terms of funding and workload for all member practices. ‘Where ICBs are proposing changes that impose significant additional workload, and/or lack sufficient additional financial resource PCNs are strongly advised to reject participating in the ... Date: 11-05-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Practice and personal finance

Last chance to register for free Pulse virtual event featuring new NICE diabetes guidance ... P leaders told Pulse at the time that they will need 'appropriate support' to implement NICE's guidelines 'consistently and safely', with concerns around a rise in prescribing and monitoring workload previously being raised. Dr Ogunmekan's session will focus on: Understanding NICE's approach to managing Type 2 diabetes; Recognising how treatment choices are tailored based on comorbidities , hy ... Date: 11-05-2026 Categories: • Cardiovascular • CPD • Diabetes and endocrinology • Gastroenterology and obesity

Baroness Gerada: 'General practice is being turned into an acute triage service' ... in the cancer debate. So twice in one week they had heard us, and they had directly linked the problems with vaccinations that we're seeing now with the workload issues of GPs - because we are not able to do what we want to do, which is chase and innovate. And so, my feeling is that we have got to talk to the right people. We also need people to see what a week in the life of an average GP looks like, ... Date: 08-05-2026 Categories: • Big Interviews

Any new GP access target must take pressures into account, says RCGP 'Significant' workload pressure on GPs must be taken into account before any new access targets are introduced by the Government, the RCGP has warned. According to information obtained by HSJ, it is considering a target ... Date: 07-05-2026 Categories: • Workload

Miscarriage support should be offered earlier, NHS study shows ... indicates that providing support after a first miscarriage, with escalating care after further losses, is not only effective but achievable without significant additional workload for NHS teams who are already working extremely hard to deliver good care.’ Scotland has already embedded the new model into its miscarriage care pathway she added. Baroness Merron, parliamentary under-secretary of state a ... Date: 06-05-2026 Categories: • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics

GPs need to join the table or 'be on the menu', says former BMA and GPC chair If general practice is ‘not at the table’ when discussions around NHS reform are happening, it will ‘unfortunately be on the menu’, former BMA council and GP committee chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul has said. Du ... Date: 06-05-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Politics

'GPs cannot deliver fit note reform on their own' Fit notes need backing beyond what GPs can offer if they are to support a return to work, argues Health Foundation policy and research manager Sam Atwell Working‑age health has climbed sharply up the Gove ... Date: 01-05-2026 Categories: • Guest opinion

Government must recognise and pay GPs for ‘hidden workload’, says RCGP The RCGP has called on the Government to recognise the ‘hidden workload’ GPs undertake and pay them fairly for it. Tackling the GP workload crisis, which included a survey of 2,316 GPs, said funding ‘should reflect the full scope ... Date: 30-04-2026 Categories: • Referrals • Workload

Government confirms new practice-level reimbursement scheme only covers salaried GPs ... t on funding for more doctors.’Reimbursement claims must be made via the CQRS system within a three-month window which Mr Pow said will increase administrative workload and also risk non-payment if the window is missed.He added: ‘This is part of an increasing trend to narrow the time frame for claiming income which puts an increased risk on practices. Cashflow will also need to be managed since claims can ... Date: 30-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Breaking news • Workforce

GP leaders voting on same-day access concession offer made by NHS England Exclusive NHS England has written to the BMA's GP Committee with a concession offer regarding same-day access, which may see practices able to agree to reduce non-urgent access in exceptional circumstances. ... Date: 30-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract

GPs don’t need to be '100% sure' of patient cause of death, says medical examiner Exclusive GPs don't need to be ‘100% sure’ of a patient’s cause of death when signing a death certificate - but should be able to explain their clinical reasoning, a medical examiner has said. Dr Faheem S ... Date: 28-04-2026 Categories: • Elderly care • Workload

GP contract analysis warns of A&G unfunded cost pressures Exclusive New advice and guidance (A&G) requirements will cause cost pressures for GP practices due to a ‘significant increase in unfunded workload’, a large group of LMCs has warned. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire (BBO) LMCs has published its own analysis of the imposed 2026/27 contract, warning that practices are ‘certainly i ... Date: 24-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Practice and personal finance

NHS England considering self-testing routes for cholesterol and prostate cancer ... an cause unnecessary anxiety or lead to further avoidable demand on GP services'. ‘General practice is already under significant workload and workforce pressure, so it’s essential that any new testing initiatives are properly resourced and designed to complement, rather than add to, existing pressures,' she said. Professor Azeem Majeed, a GP and head of the Department of Primary Care & Public He ... Date: 24-04-2026 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Gastroenterology and obesity • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Sexual health • Workload

GPs likely to see increased workload due to ramipril shortage Shortages of commonly prescribed blood pressure medication ramipril will have knock-on impacts for general practice, a leading GP has warned. The Government has issued a serious shortage protocol notice f ... Date: 24-04-2026 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Long-term conditions and prescribing

NHS England backtracks on target for one in four GP referrals to be diverted via A&G ... by a specialist consultant. 'Doing so would have undermined clinical decision-making and risked increasing workload in general practice at a time when GPs and our teams are already working under significant pressures, as well as creating barriers to appropriate and timely patient care. 'As these plans are taken forward, it will be crucial to ensure timely specialist responses, genuinely integrate ... Date: 23-04-2026 Categories: • Breaking news • Referrals

GPs warn of patient safety risks amid ongoing IT outage in one area ... tem login'. 'When this occurs, practices are unable to function normally, leading to disruption to patient care and experience, alongside significant additional workload and stress for GP teams managing the resulting backlogs.' He added: ‘GPs and staff are now starting each day not knowing whether their systems will work, adding to the uncertainty and pressure on already stretch ... Date: 22-04-2026 Categories: • Technology

UK LMC conference to vote on plans for taking GPs outside NHS ... sted, subscription-based service’, such as those being offered currently by NHS dentists. The conference agenda also includes motions asking the BMA to lobby for clear limits to GP workload and offer legal support to those who take steps to limit workload. The motion on a 'plan B' for general practice said: 'Conference recognises that current GP contracts are failing patients and practices alike, th ... Date: 21-04-2026 Categories: • Breaking news

DWP proposes 60% fee increase for GP factual reports GPs have been asked for their views on a proposed fee rise for general practice factual report (GPFR) rates, which would come with several conditions. The BMA said that the Department for Work and Pensio ... Date: 21-04-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance • Workload

'Continuity of care should not be a luxury' ... doctor model risks losing this model entirely. Workforce shortages are a central issue. Many experienced GPs are reducing their hours or leaving the profession altogether due to unsustainable workloads and administrative burden and recruitment struggles to fill the gap. At the same time, practices are being asked to do more, often without the resources needed to do it safely. This creates a system whe ... Date: 20-04-2026 Categories: • Guest opinion

Single-word ratings linked to GP suicide concerns in CQC consultation report ... practice staff.’ A spokesperson for NHS Practitioner Health, the national GP mental health support service, told Pulse: 'Around half of those who access NHS Practitioner Health cite workload issues, struggling and feeling overwhelmed as factors contributing to their stress or anxiety. 'Even the most experienced GP can be faced with an issue that represents “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” - ... Date: 17-04-2026 Categories: • Mental health, pain and addiction • Regulation

Analysis: The workforce data behind the 3.5% GP pay rise recommendation Emma Wilkinson analyses the in-depth workforce data underpinning the pay review body's recommendation for a 3.5% pay uplift this year. A recommendation from the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB)& ... Date: 14-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Practice and personal finance • Pulse careers

GP practices to choose from 'menu' of options to access new workforce funding ... hrough allocations to NHS boards. Payments for the first tranche, worth £35m for this financial year, will be distributed to practices ‘proportionately’ based on combined Scottish Workload Formula and Income and Expenses Guarantee payments, the Government added. As part of the requirements to secure the second tranche - £15m for this financial year - practices will need to set out a plan by mid-May, ... Date: 14-04-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance • Scotland • Workforce

Last chance to take part in Pulse's survey and be in with a chance of winning £500 THIS SURVEY HAS NOW CLOSED Our latest survey of GPs across the UK aims to better understand the current recruitment and unemployment crisis within general practice, and the workload involved with processing complaints. Other topics include estates funding, local enhanced services and the neighbourhood contracts for GPs in England. The survey will close tomorrow morning - 9 ... Date: 13-04-2026 Categories: • Practice and personal finance

CQC reveals how it intends to assess GP practices in new draft framework ... an expansion of expectations, requiring additional administrative and strategic work on top of an already heavy clinical workload. ‘While many GPs may welcome the greater use of AI tools, the evidence for their benefits in primary care is currently very limited. It is important that an emphasis on AI does not inadvertently push practices into investing in tools that may have limited impact on are ... Date: 13-04-2026 Categories: • Referrals • Regulation • Technology

'Inappropriate' workload transfer to primary care poses 'crucial risk' for patients, ICB warns An ICB has warned of the 'crucial risk' to patient safety caused by ‘inappropriate' workload transfer from hospital trusts to primary care. North Central London (NCL) ICB’s primary care committee said 'long-standing interface challenges' were creating a 'crucial risk to end-t ... Date: 10-04-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Workload

GPs told to ensure they are not breaching contract when using AI receptionists ... ria ICB with local practices, said that a number of suppliers are now offering virtual receptionist solutions to GP practices, which provide an AI call handling service, designed to ‘ease the workload of reception staff’ and are able to answer multiple calls simultaneously. NHS England told practices that they should be ‘aware’ of potential breaches of GP contract related to using AI receptionists. &nb ... Date: 09-04-2026 Categories: • Technology

Lack of guidance sparks GP confusion around contract changes implementation ... w its use varies across the country, how delays and potentially blocked referrals can jeopardise patient safety, and how it can push workload from secondary to primary care without clear resourcing, consistent clinical governance, or sufficient consideration of the downstream consequences for GP capacity and the quality-of-care patients receive. ‘An SPoA approach must not delay or ... Date: 07-04-2026 Categories: • 2026/27 GP contract • Contract • Practice and personal finance • Referrals

'How GP fellowships worked for me - and why they might be right for you too' ... ects of my New to Practice Fellowship experience was structured mentorship and peer networking. These networks create safe environments where early career clinicians can openly discuss uncertainties, workload pressures and career direction. For me, this support normalised many of the anxieties that new GPs rarely admit publicly. Perhaps most importantly, the programme actively recognises that early bur ... Date: 31-03-2026 Categories: • Career views

Funding needs to 'double' while shifting care to GPs, Welsh Government told ... e 'enabler' of this, according to a new report by the Welsh Parliament’s (Senedd) Health and Social Care Committee. The Future of General Practice in Wales also recommends formalising workload sharing between primary and secondary care; suggests measures to address the inverse care law; and introduce stricter standards for GPs to meet access requirements. The report, which ... Date: 30-03-2026 Categories: • NHS structures • Politics • Practice and personal finance • Wales

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