In the health news

Last year, the RCGP’s press team secured almost 20,000 media hits across print, broadcast and online outlets. The College regularly features in the news to be the voice for general practice on issues that matter to members, including GP workload and workforce, health inequalities and preventive health. We’re frequently quoted in articles covering wide-ranging clinical, health policy and wider societal issues. In the health news’ is our regular round-up of media coverage featuring the College and its spokespeople, and will be updated on a weekly basis.

14 November 2025

NHS communication

College Chair Kamila Hawthorne appears in The Telegraph on widespread problems with NHS communications to patients. She explains how issues such as delayed letters, missed test results and disconnected IT systems affect patients and their GPs who have to chase missing information and support patients who receive incorrect or late information.

Letter to the Health Secretary

Our letter to Health Secretary on GP recruitment has attracted coverage in Pulse. In the letter we warn that general practice is struggling to recruit enough GPs due to funding constraints and call on Wes Streeting to commit to a clear roadmap for increasing GP numbers in the upcoming 10-Year Workforce Plan.

Antibiotic-resistant infections

The College features in Pulse, highlighting the excellent efforts of GPs in tackling unnecessary antibiotic use, on the back of latest UKHSA figures showing an increase of antibiotic-resistant infections. Chair Kamila Hawthorne stresses that GPs have already worked hard to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and are highly trained to prescribe safely, and that tackling resistance is a shared responsibility across all prescribers.

11 November 2025

“Mass Exodus” in GP Workforce

We secured an exclusive news story and accompanying op-ed on the growing threat of GP workforce losses in The Daily Express, which was then picked up in Healthcare Magazine, Pulse, GPOnline and several regional outlets. The coverage reported warnings from the College that a significant proportion of GPs may leave the profession within the next five years due to unsustainable workload and burnout, and amplified our core message on the need for long-term investment in general practice.

Read our full response

Flu / Winter Illness

College messaging on rising flu cases and increasing winter pressures on general practice continued to gain coverage in the Telegraph, Mirror (Online) and Professor Kamila Hawthorne was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday morning. Articles included advice on managing symptoms and reminded eligible patients to take up the flu vaccination.

Online consultations

A feature in BBC News Online and syndicated across Yahoo! News, AOL and regional news platforms considered the new requirement for GP practices in England to offer online appointment booking to improve patient access. It highlights that high demand and workforce pressures mean it can still be difficult to get seen quickly and Kamila Hawthorne is quoted making clear that GP practices need more funding in order to employ the GPs they need to deliver patient care.