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.

23 October 2025

Budget – potential tax rises for GP partners

Our Letter to the Editor was published in The Times this morning, responding to speculation that the Chancellor plans to introduce a rise in national insurance contributions for GPs working in Limited Liability Partnerships in her forthcoming Budget. Kamila Hawthorne highlighted the impact of last year’s NI hike on GP practices and warned against further rises.

Read our letter

We also secured coverage in The Times – the newspaper that first reported on the potential tax rises - and The Express urging the Chancellor to reconsider this proposal.

Anti-depressant side effects

College Chair Kamila Hawthorne appeared live on ITV Lunchtime News discussing research in The Lancet showing antidepressants vary widely in their physical side effects. She made clear that anti-depressants, while safe and effective, are not without side effects and warned against patients stopping medication without seeking medical advice. Our response to the study also featured in the Independent, the Mirror, The Pharmacist and a range of regional publications via Press Association.

Read our full statement

Waiting times

We featured in The Times responding to a story commissioned by the Liberal Democrats highlighting the rise in appointments delivered two weeks after being booked. The Party is calling for greater funding for general practice and a 24/7 booking system run through NHS 111. Our response welcomed their calls for greater funding, but cautioned against a 24/7 booking system which may have unintended consequences for GP workload and patient care.

Assisted dying

Honorary Secretary Michael Mulholland’s address to the Lords Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Committee was covered by the Independent, the Standard, Policitcs.co.uk and a range of regional publications. Radio 4 also aired a recording of Michael’s address as part of a news bulletin and cited the College’s position on the need for a separate assisted dying service.

Former Chair made Baroness

Pulse reported on former College Chair Clare Gerada’s appointment to the House of Lords as a Baroness. We issued a congratulatory response which can be read on our website.

21 October 2025

Scottish Government announcement on GP drop-in centres

The SNP announced plans to introduce 15 new drop-in centres, staffed by GPs and district nurses, at their Annual Conference in Aberdeen last week. RCGP Scotland Vice Chair Chris Williams featured in The Telegraph, The Times, STV Online, BBC Online, Daily Record, Edinburgh Evening News, The Herald and the Scottish Daily Mail outlining that it was unclear how this plan could be achieved with the current workforce constraints on Scottish general practice.

Chris also gave interviews to BBC Radio Scotland and STV News exploring workload and workforce constraints. A write up from this interview was featured in The Sun and it was cited during a political discussion on BBC One Scotland’s Debate Night.

NI Winter Health Plan

RCGPNI Chair Ursula Mason featured in The Irish News, as well as a range of regional publications via PA Media, responding to the NI Government’s plans for winter preparedness. Ursula also gave interviews to BBC Northern Ireland Sunday Politics and BBC Radio Ulster, raising her concerns that the Government had barely consulted with GPs on the winter plan, who will be crucial in its delivery, and highlighted the pressures facing general practice.

NHS App diagnosis

RCGP Chair Kamila Hawthorne featured in The Independent responding to reports from patients receiving diagnoses for major conditions through the NHS App or via text. Her comment outlined our concern that some patients are receiving diagnoses, distressing or sensitive news about their health remotely when this should be handled in person.

GP unemployment

We featured in Pulse and GPonline encouraging GPs to sign an open letter which will be sent to the Government, calling for a clear road map to train, recruit and retain GPs in the forthcoming Ten Year Workforce Plan.

Sign the joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Welsh manifesto

RCGP Wales secured coverage for the launch of their manifesto at RCGP Annual Conference, calling on the Senedd to take responsibility for GP partner premises liabilities, in GPonline.

Complaints against GPs

We secured coverage in Pulse responding to the 2024/25 data for complaints against the NHS, finding that number against GPs and general practice had reached a record high.

End of life care

GPonline covered the College’s ceremony at the Annual Conference for the joint RCGP and Marie Curie Daffodil Standards Awards for GPs providing outstanding end-of-life care.

Prostate cancer screening

Medscape did a write-up of a session on prostate cancer screening hosted at the RCGP Annual Conference.