GP media coverage report for GPC 17 May 2007
GPC members will be only too aware of this week’s headlines featuring Gordon Brown’s wish to see GP surgeries opening out of hours. We responded robustly with Hamish Meldrum appearing on a prime spot on the Today programme and a press release pointing out just why we needed a new contract in the first place – to address the workforce shortage in generalpractice. Mr Brown’s proposals raise yet more workforce issues.
Press Releases issued
26 April 2007BMA comment on GP pay figures
27 April 2007New VAT rules for doctors “just days away”, says BMA
30 April 2007BMA and BAMM call for doctors to be trained in management skills
2 May 2007Pushing PCTs towards making PBC work – model letter from GPC
9 May 2007General practice rated highly by patients
14 May 2007BMA statement on access to general practice
April 2007 broadcasts and cuttings
National / Regional / TotalPrint: / 15 / 8 / 23
Broadcasts: / 8 / 11 / 17
TV: / 2 / 1 / 3
Radio: / 8 / 10 / 18
SUBJECT / National
broadcast / National print / Regional broadcast / Regional print
JDC Conference and GP Registrars / 1 / 0 / 2 / 0
GP pay / 1 / 5 / 1 / 1
Smoking / 3 / 0 / 2 / 0
National stop snoring week / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Gambling report / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Hayfever / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Out-of-hours / 3 / 5 / 0 / 0
Morale survey / 0 / 0 / 2 / 0
Shelved plans for children hospital in Leeds / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Internet doctors / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Flu cures and prescriptions / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
GPs to encourage healthy lifestyles / 0 / 1 / 0 / 1
Online patient records / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Pharmacist prescribing / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Welsh prescribing charges dropped / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Violence against doctors / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
GP training posts / MTAS / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
GPs under stress / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Asthma advice / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Increase in phone charges used in hospitals / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
TOTAL / 8 / 16 / 11 / 8
BMA spokespeople / Broadcast / Print
Hamish Meldrum / 2 / 5
Richard Vautrey / 6 / 1
Dean Marshall / 1 / 0
Stuart Scott / 1 / 0
Laurence Buckman / 1 / 2
Sam Everington / 4 / 0
John Canning / 1 / 0
Fay Wilson / 1 / 0
Andrew Buist / 1 / 0
Paul Cundy / 0 / 1
Satya Sharma / 0 / 1
Andrew Dearden / 0 / 1
Kailash Chand / 0 / 1
Steve McKenning / 0 / 2
Jo Hilborne / 0 / 1
Gary Calver / 0 / 1
BMA spokesperson / 0 / 6
TOTAL / 17 / 21
BROADCASTS
Monday 14 May 2007
Extended hours for GPs – GordonBrown statement
Dr Hamish Meldrum, Today programme
Saturday, 28 Apr 2007
Junior Doctors Conference
- Dr Sam Everington - PA Multimedia
Friday, 27 Apr 2007
JDC Conference preview
- Dr Richard Vautrey - BBC Radio Leeds / Real Radio
GP pay
- Dr Dean Marshall - Talk 107
Smoking
- Dr Stuart Scott - BBC Radio Asian Network
Thursday, 26 Apr 2007
GP Pay
- Dr Laurence Buckman - BBC Radio 5 Live
Monday, 23 Apr 2007
Smoking report
- Dr Sam Everington - BBC Radio West Midlands / BBC Radio 5 Live / Sky News
National stop snoring week
- Dr Richard Vautrey - BBC Radio Leeds
Friday, 20 Apr 2007
Gambling report
- Dr Richard Vautrey - Radio Aire
Tuesday, 17 Apr 2007
Hayfever
- Dr Richard Vautrey - BBC Radio Leeds
Friday, 13 Apr 2007
Out of Hours
- Dr Hamish Meldrum - Radio 5 Live
Thursday, 12 Apr 2007
Morale survey
- Dr John Canning - BBC Radio Cleveland
Shelving plans to build a Children's Hospital in Leeds
- Dr Richard Vautrey - ITV regional news
Doctors morale
- Dr Fay Wilson - Smooth FM
Tue, 10 Apr 2007
Raising the purchase age of cigarettes to 18
- Dr Andrew Buist - Central Radio
NATIONAL PRESS CUTTINGS
14/05
- Daily Mail “Brown to tackle GPs over pay and hours"
- Daily Telegraph “Doctors to stay open longer in new NHS shake-up”
27/04
- Daily Telegraph “New NHS contracts prove a nice little earner for doctors” P. 8
(Dr Hamish Meldrum)
- Daily Telegraph “Talking point: How reliable are internet doctors” P. 62 (Dr Richard Vautrey)
- The Times “Doctors’ anger over pay figures” P. 38 (Dr Hamish Meldrum)
- Financial Times “Doctors’ earnings figures revised down to £100,000 P. 2 (Dr Hamish Meldrum)
- Daily Mail “GPs’ pay tops £100,000 for first time P. 2
- Daily Express “Doctors’ pay rockets because of Labour bungling P. 9 (Dr Hamish Meldrum)
26/04
- Daily Mail “Flu cures could be sold only by prescription in war on drugs” P. 6
25/04
- Evening Standard “GPs urged: Help patients be healthier instead of giving pills” P. 24
24/04
- The Times “Crisis of faith in online records” P. 4 (Paul Cundy)
14/04
- The Times “The deputy doctors” P. 4 (Dr Satya Sharma)
12/04
- Daily Mail “Out-of-hours services send nurses not doctors as the trusts cut back” P. 4
(Dr Laurence Buckman)
- Daily Express “NHS in crisis: We can’t see a doctor at night” P. 2 (Dr Laurence Buckman)
02/04
- Daily Telegraph “Wales drops prescription charges” P. 12 (Dr Andrew Dearden)
REGIONAL PRESS CUTTINGS
2/4
- Portsmouth News P.11 “Shocking medic attacks on rise” Steve McKenning quote
4/4
- Yorkshire Post P.4 “Health matters”
- Oldham Evening Chronicle P.19 “Tax on illness” Kailash Chand quote
5/4
- Birmingham Post P.9 “Junior GPs win guaranteed interviews” Jo Hilborne quote
8/4
- Kent on Sunday P.7 “GP pay rise claim” Gary Calver quote
17/4
- Liverpool Daily Post P. 17 “Hewitt apologises to GPs and reveals long term review”
21/4
- Portsmouth News P. 11 “NHS under fire as GP says stress is too much” Steve McKenning quote
25/4
- London Lite P.11 “GPs too reliant on using pills”
Recent letters to press from GPs include the following :
Date / Signatory / Publication / Subject of letter3/5/07 / Dr Hamish Meldrum / Daily Mail (Letters Editor) / BMA dismay at Daily Mail’s story that a quarter of GPs will not refer for abortion – based on a tiny sample of GPs
3/5/07 / Dr Hamish Meldrum / Mr Paul Dacre, Editor, Daily Mail / Abortion referral story above
3/5/07 / Dr Hamish Meldrum / Daily Telegraph / BMA dismay at Daily Telegraph’s story that a quarter of GPs will not refer for abortion – based on a tiny sample of GPs
14/5/07 / Dr Peter Swinyard / Daily Telegraph / Gordon Brown on extended GP hours
Scotland
Press Releases:
23 April Doctors call for tough measures to break the tobacco trap to protect children from tobacco smoke in Scotland (Dr Andrew Thomson)
26 AprilGPs’ leader calls on politicians to value general practice
26 AprilNew agreement could bring an end to long waits for ambulances (Dr Andrew Buist)
Following are a selection of comments/features in the Press (SGPC and BMA comments relevant to SGPC):
14 AprilBBC Online News
Poles embarrassed to seek help. Thousands of Poles living in the Highlands are self medicating as they are too embarrassed to register with a GP, according to a Polish group. (BMA Spokesperson)
15 AprilScotland on Sunday
Pay row GPs may ban new patients. The leader of Scotland’s GPs has warned that doctors could close surgeries to new patients in a bid to cut costs (Dr Dean Marshall)
Sunday Express
GPs struggle to cope with surge of immigrants to hit Scotland. (Dr David Alexander)
Sunday Herald
Doctors call on authorities to crack down on drinking in public places. Doctors are calling for a national crackdown on drinking in the streets across Scotland to help tackle problems associated with binge drinking. (Dr Murray Macpherson)
Scotland on Sunday
“Pessimistic” young GPs to quit NHS. Half of young doctors will leave the NHS in the next decade believe it is no longer a ‘job for life’. (Dr Andrew Thomson, Junior Members Forum)
16 AprilHerald
Junior doctors call for cannabis on the NHS. Doctors in Scotland yesterday voted in favour of cannabis drugs being prescribed on the NHS to ease the suffering of patients. (Dr Andrew Thomson, Junior Members Forum)
Daily Mail
GPs in threat to turn away patients. People could find access to GPs blocked after doctors’ leaders told surgeries to consider turning away new patients. (Dr Dean Marshall)
Courier
Housing boom blamed for GP crisis. A housing boom in west Fife was last night blamed for putting every family doctor’s practice in Dunfermline under pressure. (Dr Andrew Buist)
17 AprilHerald
NHS Comes to the crossroads. Ten years after the vote in favour of a Scottish Parliament, the SNP are riding high in the polls ahead of next month’s elections. (Dr Dean Marshall, Dr Graeme Eunson (SJDC) and Dr Peter Bennie (SCC))
Scotsman
“NHS 13 and a half failing to provide a proper service”. Scotland’s health helpline is struggling to cope with demand, even during off-peak times, it has been claimed. (Dr James King, SLMC conference)
21 AprilHerald
GPs call for cancer screening system to be halted. Doctors are demanding a halt to a new computerised cancer screening system amid fears it undermines patient care. (Dr Jim O’Neill, SLMC Conference)
22 AprilScotland on Sunday
Best medicine for the ‘sick man of Europe’. Various ‘experts’ give their opinions on the priorities for the next Scottish Government. (Dr Peter Terry, Chairman of Scottish Council)
Sunday Herald
Doctors reveal shortage of basic supplies to deal with flu outbreak. Doctors have warned they are short of supplies of essential protective equipment, such as face masks and gloves, needed in the event of a flu pandemic. (Dr Mary O’Brien, SLMC Conference)
Scotland on Sunday
GPs warn of ‘dangerous’ cancer screening system. A new computerised cancer screening system planned for Scotland is unreliable and ‘dangerous to patient care’, according to GPs. (Dr Jim O’Neil, SLMC Conference)
23 AprilAll Scottish Press
Widespread coverage of the BMA Board of Science report: Breaking the cycle of children’s exposure to tobacco smoke. (Dr Andrew Thomson, BMA Board of Science)
Evening Express (Aberdeen)
Update to GP record system. Health records will be available at the touch of a button in North-East doctors’ surgeries. (Dr Stuart Scott)
24 April Herald
Doctors to debate at BMA meeting. Information sharing and confidentiality, and GP pay are on the agenda for the BMA’s annual conference of Scottish Local Medical Committees on Thursday. (BMA Spokesperson)
26 AprilScotsman
GPs may close doors to new patients in protest at pay freeze. Family doctors in Scotland could start closing their doors to new patients in the coming months, GPs will warn today. (Dr Dean Marshall)
27 AprilScotsman
Deal agreed to cut ambulance delays. Family doctors have struck a deal with the ambulance service to tackle delays in transporting patients to hospital. (Dr Andrew Buist)
Also featured in: Courier, Daily Record, Herald, Press & Journal
Herald
Don’t make us pay for Scotland’s obesity, say GPs. Doctors have demanded that targets for dealing with obesity – which earn them cash – should be cut from their contract. (Dr Dean Marshall)
Herald
Cancer screening system on hold. Doctors voted to postpone a new computerised cancer screening system yesterday amid fears it will not work. (Dr Andrew Buist & Dr Jim O’Neil)
Daily Mail
We can’t cope with migrants, warns GPs. Scotland’s GP surgeries have been plunged into turmoil following a huge influx of migrants, doctors’ leaders have warned. (Dr Alan McDevitt & Dr Jim Alcock)
Daily Mail
Low morale despite soaring pay. Scotland’s family doctors yesterday claimed morale is at an all time low despite a huge pay rise and a deal allowing them to opt out of weekend work. (Dr Dean Marshall)
2 MayE-Health Insider (primary care)
Scottish GPs insist on explicit consent on shared records. GP practices must remain the data controller for GP records even if databases are held within a hosted environment, Scottish GP representatives have agreed (Dr Stuart Scott)
6 MayScotland on Sunday
Doctors fear alternative therapies waste NHS cash. Thousands of patients are being treated with controversial alternative therapies on the NHS despite concerns that they are not proven to work (Dr Sandy Sutherland)
7 MayHerald
Call for debate on rationing. Doctors are calling for a public debate about rationing NHS treatment to b held in Scotland. (BMA Spokesperson)
Articles/Letters
17 AprilScotsman
Government should be trumpeting the benefits of GP contract from the rooftops. (Dr John Garner’s monthly column)
24 AprilScotsman
Family practices in spotlight for annual check-upDean Marshall provides a summary of some of the key issues up for debate at the annual conference of Local Medical Committees in Clydebank this week.
8 MayScotsman
Changing district nurses and health visitors is a step backwards – and confuses patients. (Dr John Garner’s monthly column)
MayScottish Primary Care
General Practice IT. Dr Stuart Scott provides an update on the e-health strategy in Scotland and the implications for general practice.
Broadcast Interviews:
14 AprilSky News RadioAndrew ThomsonJunior Members Forum
Wave 102 FMAndrew ThomsonJunior Members Forum
18 AprilBBC Radio NewsdriveAndrew ThomsonCannabinoids on the NHS (JMF)
23 April BBC Radio GMSAndrew ThomsonSmoking Report
Also interviews on: Radio Forth; Wave 102; Radio Clyde; Real Radio; Radio Tay; Radio Borders News; Moray Firth Radio; Central FM
25 AprilBBC Radio Five LiveStuart ScottSmoking
BBC Radio Asian NetwkStuart ScottSmoking
26 AprilTalk 107Dean MarshallGP Income
Northern Ireland.
Following the recent meeting of NIGPC, the Chairman and press office discussed issuing a press release, to publicise selected topics covered at the meeting. However, it was decided not to do so because things were currently moving smoothly for NIGPC with decision makers in NI and it was felt more prudent not to proactively seek publicity at that time.
The Chairman, though, did a briefing for BMA News with its NI correspondent on the issue of waiting lists in NI.
BMA(NI) Violence against Doctors Campaign:
As part of its campaign, BMA(NI) plays an active part in the DHSSPS's Zero Tolerance Group and has made a major contribution to the design and production of a recently issued DHSSPS Circular - 'Zero Tolerance on Abuse of Staff : Protecting Healthcare and Emergency Staff from Violence'.
The Circular was sent to all Trusts, GPs, GP practices and OOH organisations; the Circular sent to general practice was accompanied by a letter from the Chairman of NIGPC.
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