Failure to support general practice

When the British Medical Association's England GP committee passes a motion of no confidence in the leadership of NHS England, it is clear that something has gone very wrong. A ‘woefully badly judged’ letter from NHS England (2021) to GPs caused anger after it demanded that all patients should be offered face-to-face appointments if they choose, adding fuel to the fire in sections of the media that have suggested GP practices have been closed during the pandemic, and hitting the already low morale of those working in general practice.

NHS England medical director for primary care Nikki Kanani, subsequently clarified in a blog post (Kanani, 2021): ‘We know that many practices are already providing an excellent balance, offering face-to-face services and making best use of remote working for those patients for whom this works well, and keeping people safe’. Following on with ‘GPs and every part of the primary care team have responded amazingly to be there for patients during the greatest challenge the NHS has ever faced. Our challenge now is to build on all of that good work and together continue improving primary care for the future, with the mix of remote and face-to-face appointments we know our patients want and need.’