This week Emma speaks to Dr Caroline Watson, who is chair of the Royal College of GPs Secure Environments Group and has over a decade of experience working as a GP in prisons in England. Caroline is currently clinical director of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust Secure Services and works as a GP at HMP Bedford.

Caroline explains how she got involved in working in secure environments, what working in these environments entails, and the challenges faced by GPs working in them. She also discusses the complexities of prescribing in prisons, the common health issues seen in prisoners, and the multidisciplinary teams that GPs work alongside.

Caroline shares her insights into the rewarding aspects of working in secure environments and the role of the RCGP Secure Environments Group in championing improved healthcare for people in contact with the criminal justice system – and she offers some practical advice for GPs interested in this career path.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

RCGP Secure Environments Group

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(Please note in this episode we mistakenly refer to a report on GP partner numbers as being produced by the Health Foundation. It was in fact produced by the Nuffield Trust)

This week Emma and Nick discuss falling numbers of GP partners and what this could mean for the future of general practice.

They talk about what went on at the UK LMCs conference last week, where the BMA launched a new report highlighting the value of a GP and there were debates on GP unemployment and the employer national insurance increase.

And they look at the latest on plans to cut back ICBs, after an NHS England blueprint suggested this could mean some big changes for primary care.

Our good news story this week is about a pilot in general practice in Manchester that is aiming to cut falls among older patients

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

In charts: How the loss of GP partners is accelerating

Viewpoint: Is the partnership model really in decline?

BMA dossier defines 'value of a GP' in push for fresh investment

LMCs hear harrowing stories of GPs impacted by unemployment crisis

National insurance hike is 'death sentence' for some GP practices, LMCs warn

ICBs told to 'merge functions' as blueprint outlines primary care shift

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This week Emma speaks to Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, who is a GP and the national chief medical officer in New Zealand.

Helen took on her new role as chief medical officer six months ago, however many UK doctors will know her from her previous roles as chair of the Royal College of GPs, a post she held from between 2016 and 2019 and as chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges during the pandemic from 2020 to 2023. Before her move to New Zealand she was also a GP partner at a practice in Staffordshire, a professor of GP Education at the University of Birmingham and a member of the NHS England board.

In this conversation Helen explains what prompted her to take such a big step in her career and move to the other side of the world, how the health system in New Zealand compares with the UK and what it’s like working as a frontline GP there. She also talks about the emotional impact of leaving her practice - and her life - in the UK.

Helen offers some practical tips to other GPs taking on leadership roles, and those considering moving to work in another country, based on her own experiences, and gives her view on the UK government’s decision to scrap NHS England.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Visit GPonline for all the latest news affecting general practice and other resources to support GPs https://www.gponline.com

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The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice.

This week Emma and Nick look at the new advice and guidance directed enhanced service, which will pay practices for GPs making use of local advice and guidance systems. Nick explains the huge variation of uptake of advice and guidance across England and what this could mean for practices delivering the enhanced service. You can find out about uptake in your local area in our story here https://www.gponline.com/will-gps-earn-advice-guidance-des/article/1915073

They also talk about public sector pay reviews and whether the government is likely to agree to fund any recommendations for this year if they are over and above the 2.8% that has been planned for.

And they discuss the state of GP premises and whether there is any chance that the government will stump up the money needed to improve premises in the coming years.

Our good news story is an update on a story we discussed a couple of weeks ago about enhanced services in Lancashire and Cumbria.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Where will GPs earn most from the advice and guidance DES?

Kinnock warns of 'fiscal constraints' as government considers public sector pay rises

NHS leaders demand capital funding boost for primary care

GPs win £14m funding boost after LES boycott threat

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This week Emma speaks to Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, the chair of the BMA England GP committee, about what the future holds for general practice

Katie explains why this year’s contract deal is the start of a long journey of recovery for general practice and the basis on which to create a more positive future for the profession.

Now that the government has agreed to negotiate a completely new GP contract, Katie explains what her priorities will be in those contract negotiations and how the BMA will be making the case for greater investment in general practice.

She talks about whether general practice should be directly reimbursed for staff costs, what should replace the Carr-Hill formula and whether it’s now time to define what core services in general practice actually are.

Katie also explains why GPs need to keep up the pressure in their area to secure better funding for local enhanced services, how she thinks neighbourhoods could impact on general practice and also why she feels more hopeful about the future than at any other point since she qualified as a GP.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Full GPonline coverage of the 2025/26 GP contract

Define GP core services or risk unfunded work transfer from hospitals, LMCs to warn

BMA guidance on the 2025/26 GP contract

BMA safe working guidance

Patients first – Why general practice is broken and how can we fix it - BMA manifesto

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The GPonline team discusses the key news stories affecting general practice.

This week the team looks at GP recruitment under the additional roles reimbursement scheme and what new figures tell us about how that initiative is working.

They also talk about cuts to integrated care boards, what that could mean for general practice and how the financial constraints within the NHS are already impacting on funding for local services provided by GPs.

Our good news story is about funding for research in GP practices.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Map: Which areas have recruited the most ARRS GPs?

Hundreds of PCNs yet to hire a single ARRS GP

ICB cuts 'could slow down move to neighbourhood NHS'

200 practices could boycott LESs after ICB cut millions from funding offer

What could ICB cuts mean for general practice?

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This week Emma speaks to Professor Naomi Allen, chief scientist at UK Biobank, a biomedical database and research resource that contains data, information and biological samples from half a million UK participants.

Naomi, who is also a professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford, explains how UK Biobank was established, how it works, and the wealth of data it holds.

Naomi also discusses the crucial role primary care data will play and explains how it will be incorporated into UK Biobank in the coming months.

And she outlines some of the groundbreaking research that has already been conducted using UK Biobank data and how this could revolutionise patient care in general practice in the future.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

UK Biobank’s website

Details on how to access UK Biobank data as a researcher

Information about UK Biobank and GP patient data

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On this week’s podcast Emma and Nick talk about how this year’s GP contract will affect practices’ finances and look at details of the advice and guidance enhanced service after final contract documents were published.

Kimberley explains how collective action has helped one LMC secure a significant uplift to local enhanced service funding.

And Nick talks through the results of this year’s British Social Attitudes survey, which was widely reported and shows satisfaction with the NHS and general practice has continued to fall. He explains why these results don’t tell the whole story of what’s going on in general practice.

Our good news story this week is about GP practices signing up to become parkrun practices.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

GP contract threatens ‘vast gaps’ between practices and ARRS shortfall, expert warns

ICB 'interface' groups to oversee expansion of advice and guidance

ICB nearly triples LES budget after collective action and LMC talks

GPs question major poll showing patient satisfaction at new low

Landmark for GPs as 2,000th practice joins parkrun scheme

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