Talking General Practice – Details, episodes & analysis

BMA England GP committee chair Dr Katie Bramall speaks to Emma about the 2026/27 GP contract and the BMA’s referendum on the deal, which launched this week.

Katie explains why she thinks the 2026/27 contract is a bad deal for general practice and some of the problems around same-day access, advice and guidance and practice funding.

She talks about what happens if GPs reject the deal in the referendum, which may mean the profession begins taking action from as early as 1 April. Katie raises the prospect of a ballot on more serious action that could put practices in breach of their contract later in the summer if there is no movement from the government on the contract.

She also talks about the government’s plans for a neighbourhood NHS and how this will affect general practice and explains new BMA guidance on what practices and GPs should be doing now.

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

Useful links

BMA briefing paper on neighbourhoods

What's in the GP contract for 2026/27?

GP referral change revealed as NHS plays down same-day access impact

Viewpoint: Why mandatory advice and guidance risks a patient safety fiasco

Why the 2026/27 contract risks increased financial pressure for practices

MIMS Learning Live Digital 2026

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Nick and Emma explain how the GP contract for 2026/27 in England is set to change, how it will impact on practices and what it means for the current dispute between the BMA and the government.

In this episode they talk about what the contract changes mean for practice and PCN finances, and whether the funding increase will make a difference, or boost jobs available for GPs.

They also look at a new requirement for same day access for urgent patients, plus changes to the QOF, additional roles reimbursement scheme and how practices are paid for advice and guidance.

And they talk about the reaction to the deal and what happens next in the ongoing dispute with the government.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock, It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

What's in the GP contract for 2026/27? - full details of all the changes

Contract uplift leaves practices 'treading water' and risks cashflow crisis

GP contract funding to rise by £485m in 2026/27

Raid on PCN cash to fund practice-level recruitment as ARRS rules changed

New targets on same-day access and obesity in 2026/27 GP contract

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Emma speaks to Dr Vish Ratnasuriya, a GP partner and the elected chair of Our Health Partnership, one of the UK’s largest super partnerships. Vish was also recently appointed as a member of the newly formed National Commission for the Regulation of AI in Healthcare.

In this episode, Vish explains how Our Health Partnership;s ‘decentralized’ super partnership model helps support practices while retaining local autonomy. He discusses the advantages of working at scale and the shift towards neighborhood working - and shares his views on why general practice needs to lead on this work and the opportunities for moving more care out of hospitals and into the community.

He also talks about the huge role technology and AI will play in the future of the NHS. Vish explains what the new national commission aims to achieve and the vital importance of establishing clear rules on liability and safety for new technologies.

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

Useful links

Our Health Partnership

National Commission for the Regulations of AI in Healthcare

Primary Care Accelerator

West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator

Quarter of GPs use AI but 'wild west' rollout sparks safety fears

Viewpoint: How can general practice make best use of AI?

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This week Nick and Emma explain the results of the BMA’s referendum on the GP contract for England in 2024/25 and what happens next. And they talk about whether GPs will be prepared to take industrial action this year – and the types of action they might back – based on results from our own polling.

They also discuss whether general practice in England is shifting to a GP-lite model, as many GPs struggle to find work at the same time as £1.4bn of funding a year is pumped into the additional roles reimbursement scheme which provides funding for primary care networks to recruit other healthcare professionals. Nick talks through some of the data linked to this and what it all means.

Meanwhile, Emma talks about the latest news on a possible change in the law on assisted dying in Scotland, and they look at the results of the latest British Social Attitudes survey on what the public thinks about the NHS.

Our good news story this week is about the rollout of life-changing technology for patients with type 1 diabetes.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Which forms of industrial action would GPs be prepared to take?

Three quarters of GPs prepared to take industrial action, poll suggests

Is general practice in England moving to a 'GP-lite' model?

Bill that could legalise assisted dying in Scotland introduced

Listen to our special episode on assisted dying and what’s being proposed about how the law should change in Scotland here.

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This week Emma talks to GP Dr Lucy Henshall and healthcare consultant and former practice manager Penny Flack about their initiative Welcome Back to Work, which helps support GPs back into the workplace if they’ve had less than two years away.

In this conversation they explain how Welcome Back to Work helps GPs, the importance of tailoring support to individual doctors, and why we need a much more flexible approach to GP retention than is currently available.

They also talk about what GP practices can do to support GPs returning to work and those who may need more flexibility in the way that they work - and the benefits for both employers and doctors of doing this. And how they hope their approach could be scaled up to work across local healthcare systems – or even nationally – to help ensure experienced GPs are not lost to the NHS.

Lucy and Penny primarily work in Suffolk but they also work with GPs in other parts of the country as well.

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

Useful links

Welcome Back to Work website

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Emma and Nick discuss the debate that’s raging about the use of physician associates in the NHS after the BMA issued new guidance on the tasks PAs should and shouldn’t be doing and the RCGP updated its red lines on the use of PAs in general practice.

They also talk again about the struggles GPs are facing finding work as the financial pressures in general practice continue to bite, as well as the results of a new BMA survey of GP registrars about their future career intentions.

And they look at what happened at the Welsh LMCs conference recently where GPs called for the BMA to move towards industrial action by GPs in Wales - and also what’s going on in England as we head towards the end of the referendum on the GP contract there.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Physician associates must never see undifferentiated patients, BMA safety advice warns

RCGP expands 'red lines' on use of physician associates in general practice

NHS promises clear safety advice for GPs on physician associate role

Qualified GP driving for Uber amid chronic shortage of jobs

Just two in five GP registrars plan to work in UK general practice, devastating poll reveals

Welsh LMCs push for industrial action as ministers warned not to 'devalue general practice'

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Emma talks to BMA England GP committee chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer about the impact the GP contract for 2024/25 will have, the BMA’s referendum on the deal and what happens next.

GPs in England are facing the third consecutive contract imposition and a deal that will deliver just a 1.9% uplift to funding in 2024/25. The BMA last week launched a referendum on the contract and we’re entering a crucial period for the profession that could see GPs head towards industrial action later this year.

In this interview Dr Bramall-Stainer explains why she thinks the deal represents an ideological dismantling of NHS general practice, how it could harm practices and patients, and what happened during this year’s contract negotiations.

She also talks about what she hopes the referendum will achieve and what happens next, how the BMA’s safe working guidance could help practices in the coming months and how working in partnership with patients could help convince ministers of the need for further investment in general practice ahead of the general election.

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

Useful links

GP concerns have been 'ignored' but referendum offers chance to speak up, says BMA

BMA reveals forms of industrial action GPs could take this year

What is in the GP contract for 2024/25?

GP business model 'non-viable' under 2024/25 contract, warns BMA

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This week the GPonline team discusses the GP contract for England for 2024/25. 

They look at how the contract deal will affect practice finances, as well as some of the other changes it will bring.

They also talk about the human impact of underfunding in general practice, which has seen some unemployed locum GPs being forced to use food banks as well as and practices having to cut back services because of funding constraints.

They also look at what happens next after the BMA launched its referendum on the deal this week and ask whether GPs in England are heading for industrial action and what that might look like.

Our good news story is about plans for same-day access hubs in North West London being shelved.

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

Useful links

GPs asked to vote on 2024/25 contract as BMA launches yes/no referendum

BMA reveals forms of industrial action GPs could take this year

Unemployed locum GPs relying on food banks, BMA council member warns

Outstanding practice forced to scale back services due to 'spiralling' costs

What is in the GP contract for 2024/25?

ICB backs down on same-day access plan after GP and patient outcry

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This week Emma speaks to Beccy Baird, senior fellow at health think tank the King’s Fund.

Beccy is the lead author of a report the King’s Fund published in Feburary called Making care closer to home a reality – refocusing the system to primary and community care. The report looks at what needs to happen to ensure a greater share of NHS funding goes to primary care and community services and we build an NHS that is focused on communities rather than hospitals.

The report says that the government's failure to invest in primary care ranks as one of the most significant and long-running failures of NHS policy over the past 30 years.

In this interview Beccy explains why we need an NHS that is focused around primary care and community services and why, despite so many policies advocating this shift over the years, this has not happened. She also explains how she thinks we can make that move in future and what needs to happen at a national and local level to make it a reality.

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

Useful links

You can find the full King’s Fund report here.

Register for or subscribe to GPonline here.

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This week the GPonline team looks at the visa challenges facing international medical graduate (IMG) GPs in training and how this could drive them out of the NHS.

They also talk about the difficulties locum GPs in England are facing finding work, why this is happening, and how it is affecting rates of pay following a recent survey carried out by GPonline and our sister site GP Business.

And they discuss appointment data and patient data for the whole of 2023 and how general practice fared over those 12 months.

This week’s good news story is about how a practice has used patient feedback and effective communication about the work they are doing to deliver a massive fall in complaints.

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

NHS risks losing thousands of new GPs because of visa sponsor shortfall

IMG doctors lift the lid on why a generation of GPs may slip away from the NHS

How GP practices can become skilled worker visa sponsors

More than half of locum GPs in England are struggling to find work

GP locum rates fall slightly in England but rise in rest of UK

Practices delivered 'an extra month and a half' of appointments last year

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