We promote the tireless work of GPs and campaign to ensure that all patients can receive high quality care when they need it. Read our definition of a GP.
We lead the conversation around health policy with our policy work and are campaigning for the best deal for general practice from the Prime Minister's 10-year plan for the NHS.
In 2022, RCGP has secured key policy and campaign successes, including:
- 4,367 GPs signed an open letter to the Home Secretary as a part of our campaign and 157 members of the public wrote to their MP.
- We launched 4 policy reports as part of our Fit for the Future campaign across visa issues (PDF file, 650 KB), retention (PDF file, 790 KB) and relationship-based care.
- The Minister for Immigration stated during a debate on IMGs visas that the Government would consider setting up an umbrella sponsorship body: one of the solutions recommended by the College.
- The Health Select Committee published its report on the future of general practice. The College’s written (PDF file, 232 KB) and oral evidence, was significantly reflected in the report. Read our full response on our website.
- We held two successful roundtables on our Fit for the Future campaign at Labour and Conservative party conferences.
- Following publication of our report on retention (PDF file, 790 KB), NHSE launched a retention and recruitment review, which we are engaging on.
- From September 2022, the medical student tariff was updated so that funding for placement activity is the same across primary and secondary care, following our previous lobbying work as part of Destination GP.
- Responded to 20 Clinical Policy consultations and 15 policy consultations.
- Worked with the DWP to extend fit note certification to other primary care staff to help relieve a small part of the workload pressures on GPs.
- Lobbied to delay, improve and ultimately halt the accelerated citizen access to GP data programme for practices who do not feel ready to safely implement this change.
Contact our Policy and Campaigns team
Email: policy@rcgp.org.uk
Phone: 020 3188 7400
Policy and campaigning priorities 2023-26
For 2023-26, our policy and campaigns priorities will be aligned to the RCGP Strategic plan: Building a sustainable future for general practice.
The priorities which our policy and campaigning work will focus on are:
- Tackle the workforce and workload crisis
- Reduce the increasing gap in health inequalities
- Respond to the climate emergency
You can read full details on the strategic plan on the about RCGP webpage.
