Inflammatory headlines ignore exceptional work of GP teams and jeopardise patient trust in care

In response to unfair, anti-GP media coverage of recently published practice-level consultation data, new Chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne hit back with a letter, now published by the Telegraph:

Sir,

‘Naming and shaming’ GP practices will damage patient care. ‘League tables’ take no account of the different circumstances affecting practices and only cause mistrust and fear for patients about the care they are receiving.

Behind yesterday’s headlines lies the fact that GPs and their teams last month delivered a record 36.1 million consultations, almost 40% of these on the day they were booked and more than 71% in-person, the highest proportion since before the pandemic.

This was overlooked to feed the myth that remote care is ‘bad’ and in person care is ‘good’ when we know that safe, appropriate care is being delivered remotely and many patients find it convenient.

RCGP figures show that 4 in 10 GPs are already planning to quit general practice in the next five years due to chronic workload and workforce pressures - and unfair scrutiny will only make this worse.

The government should focus on delivering the 6,000 more GPs promised in their manifesto, not on demonising and demoralising hardworking GPs who are keeping the NHS upright.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne
Chair, Royal College of GPs
London NW1

Further information

RCGP Press office: 020 3188 7633
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editor

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.