An NHS leader estimates GPs only require about 20,000 of their 41,000 consultation rooms to handle current demand.
A GP jokingly suggests their broad knowledge allows them to handle complex issues, even beyond typical medical scope.
NHS England is trialling a system where patients can reply to texts with 'here' or 'gone' to prevent being removed from their GP list.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper wants more GPs working in community services and questioned the NHS workforce plan's assumptions.
A GP practice manager personally visited patients to stop them from being removed during a national patient list review.
A website provider's collapse caused online service disruptions for hundreds of English GP surgeries.
Government confirmed doctors and other public service workers can still gain UK settlement after five years via a new earnings requirement.
A survey found one-third of English workers delayed or skipped GP appointments due to work commitments.
Government reversed plan to scrap the safety investigation group, moving its work away from the CQC.
MPs asked the NHS England chair to explain the claim that primary care has double the necessary floor space.
NHS England confirmed about 500 GP practices experienced website problems after a website service company entered administration.
A think tank warns ending funding increase requirements for children's mental health services undermines efforts to reduce waiting times.
The RCGP president has warned that many GPs feel uncertain about their employment and conditions and will campaign for better opportunities.
The Autumn budget gave the NHS extra money for winter pressures, but did not mention funding for general practice.
The Government has reversed its decision to scrap Healthwatch, choosing instead to keep and improve Healthwatch England and local bodies.
A company providing GP practice websites entered administration, causing disruptions to practice websites in England and Wales.
Experienced GPs note that the NHS often repeats itself due to changing government policies and priorities.
One Integrated Care Board is checking GP practices for low patient-to-doctor ratios and may take action.
Local medical colleges will discuss moving local enhanced services funding into core GP contracts to end postcode lottery issues.
Professor Williamson suggests GPs should find patients who are not currently using their services to improve health inequalities.
Beth Gault outlines the current state of the NHS following the abolition of NHS England in March 2025.
← GP Press Digest – week to 24 October 2026 PulseNews Read the full article at Pulse ↗ Headline and link from Pulse (pulsetoday.co.uk). Articles may need free registration. Inclusion isn't endorsement.
← GP Press Digest – week to 24 October 2026 PulseNews Read the full article at Pulse ↗ Headline and link from Pulse (pulsetoday.co.uk). Articles may need free registration. Inclusion isn't endorsement.
GPs in Coventry and Warwickshire will pilot a new system to offer earlier support for fit notes.
The Coventry and Warwickshire ICB is starting a pilot to improve the fit note system for GP practices.
The Children's Commissioner found unacceptable outcomes and service levels for children in many parts of England, stressing that location should not determine their future.
The former health secretary says he failed to restore the family doctor and urges changes in the next GP contract talks.
A London ICB confirms it uses Google reviews, among other sources, to gauge patient experience and could use them to manage practices with low satisfaction.
Baroness Gerada argues the Health Bill must protect continuity of care with a named GP.
An ICB in the east of England has apologised after its LMC estimated practices were owed around £50,000 each in delayed payments.
GP leaders warn NHS England’s updated patient charter could confuse patients by saying some practices accept urgent requests online.
In evidence to the doctors’ pay review body, DHSC and NHS England say they are planning for a 2.4% pay uplift for GPs in 2027/28.
The Government has announced £140m for winter pressures. It mentions evening and weekend GP access but gives none of the money to general practice, and GP leaders have criticised this.
NHS England has published a new “You and your GP practice” document, with a new section on online requests and clearer response times. Practices must follow it and show it on their website.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust will pay £325,000 directly to 12 underfunded GP practices: a rare case of hospital money moving into general practice.
A Policy Exchange report backed by Jeremy Hunt calls for dispensing practices to be paid to provide rural pharmacy services, with extra rural weighting in primary care budgets.
GPonline compares income and costs across small and large practices as list sizes keep rising through closures and mergers.
Opinion: is money going to community pharmacy at general practice's expense?
An NHS official says Pharmacy First is only the start of the clinical work community pharmacies could take from general practice.
Opinion: a GP questions whether NHS England's figures really support expanding Pharmacy First.
The merger of nine ICB clusters has been delayed a year to 2028.
A year on, GPs say unlimited online requests have cut face-to-face capacity and affected safety.
Planning guidance will prioritise primary and community care, but hospital deficits are holding the shift back.
West and North London ICB has put its £20m winter money into hospital and mental health trusts, with nothing for general practice. Londonwide LMCs say GPs were left out of the decision and the ICB does not value general practice.
With talks back on, a look at what the profession wants from next year's contract.
The government will consult on the 2027/28 contract rather than negotiate it with the BMA.
Healthwatch wants ICBs to use data and patient views to improve GP access.
Partners working extra sessions as locums can be claimed under the revamped reimbursement scheme.
NHS England hints at contractual action over the 90% same-day urgent access target.
The £292m GP reimbursement scheme can now be used for locums.
BMA argues more money for general practice would ease pressure across the NHS.
Warning that general practice needs urgent funding to stay sustainable.
Half of practices say they've had to introduce waiting lists for non-urgent appointments.
An extra £50 per patient in core funding is a major BMA aim in contract talks.
Opinion: practices losing income to list cleaning deserve the transitional protection promised for formula changes.
ICBs employ about 5,000 fewer staff than in 2024, a Healthcare Leader investigation finds.
Practices are absorbing extra admin and payment delays after ICB cuts, including to safeguarding roles.
List cleaning has removed funding worth around 30 million appointments from general practice.
Poor delivery of the McCloud remedy has damaged members' confidence in the NHS pension scheme.
GPs should get written confirmation of ICB commissioning before prescribing semaglutide for CVD risk reduction.
The Government has dropped plans to remove council representatives from ICB boards.
Varying the PCN contract is seen as the least disruptive route to neighbourhood models.
The RCGP says a Health Foundation report on GP funding in England lays bare the pressures on practices.
Only a minority of GP partners earn £250k or more, despite headline figures.
ICB boundaries will be redrawn to match strategic authority borders by 2029.
A Pulse survey found one in three practices cut face-to-face appointments because of online access changes.
One ICB's decision to share £2m between practices on avoidable mortality alone has divided GP leaders.
NHS England has published the July 2026 standard GMS contract, PMS agreement and APMS contract, with variation notices, reflecting this year’s contract changes.
What the proposed neighbourhood provider contracts mean for PCNs, and why general practice needs to be involved.
RCGP welcomes the new Health Secretary and offers to work on the challenges facing general practice.
The future of local enhanced services under neighbourhood health and a new Prime Minister.
ICBs are tasked with reducing variation in practices' QOF performance.
NHS England figures show patient satisfaction at a five-year high, with over three quarters rating their practice as good.
NHS England says clustered ICBs should merge by April 2027.
Clustered ICBs that haven't formally merged, such as BSol and the Black Country, will be ranked separately in league tables.
Practices in one area could close after an ICB moved to claw back about £6m paid in error.
The RCGP has a three-year NHS England contract to keep running its Practice Level Support improvement programme.
RCGP says the latest GMS statistics paint a deeply concerning picture for general practice funding.
Practices can ask their ICB to move GP reimbursement scheme funding between practices in the PCN.
A Pulse investigation finds wide variation in local enhanced service funding between ICBs.
A Government evaluation found financial incentives for GPs could help a scheme that reduces fit note demand.
NHS England’s detailed guidance for practices and commissioners on putting the 2026/27 contract changes into practice. Updated on 1 October 2026.
ICBs will become legally responsible for primary care commissioning when NHS England is abolished.
RCGP writes to the new Health Secretary on GP access and moving care into the community.
RCGP responds to the health measures in the King's Speech.
The RCGP president says patients need more GPs, not new access targets.
The new practice-level reimbursement scheme initially covered salaried GPs only (since extended to locums).
NHS England offered a concession on same-day access, which GP leaders voted on.
A tax ruling means agency-supplied GP locums may now be VAT-exempt, which could cut locum costs for PCNs and practices.
Practical tips for the new 2026/27 QOF indicators and boosting income.
Operose Health has approached GP partners about taking over their practices.
The RCGP warns the Government to learn from the past as general practice's share of NHS spending hits a low.
GPs report confusion over the imposed contract changes because NHS England guidance was not ready.
RCGP responds to the survey, noting GP teams now deliver over a million appointments a day.
Hospital trusts are set to receive delegated commissioning responsibilities for GP contracts.
The 2026/27 contract requires practices to see "clinically urgent" patients the same day.
Pulse's guide to what the 2026/27 GP contract means for practices.
RCGP is concerned some patients delay seeking care because they expect getting an appointment to be hard.
Contract investment rises by £485m (3.6% cash). A new practice-level GP reimbursement scheme is funded by moving £292m from the PCN capacity and access payment, ARRS GP rules are widened, clinically urgent patients must be dealt with the same day and others answered by the end of the next core hours, plus QOF and vaccination changes.
The RCGP responds to the Government's announcement of the 2026/27 GP contract.
The Government set out a £485m uplift in the imposed 2026/27 contract, including a new GP reimbursement scheme.
BMA analysis suggests the Global Sum barely covers staffing costs for the average practice.
A national campaign promotes online GP access, as GPs warn the requirements mean fewer face-to-face patients.
GPC England's contract proposals include replacing QOF with annual reviews.
A DWP employment support scheme intended to reduce demand for GP fit notes is being rolled out nationally.
NHS England has asked ICBs to give GPs extra training on postnatal checks, covering physical recovery and mental health.
A think tank says GPs issued about 40,000 fit notes a working day in 2025 and wants the role moved away from general practice.