Appendix 4
Media coverage report for GPC 19 July 2007
An LMC Conference motion on patient charges for routine care outside core hours caused a furore in the media and generated much coverage in advance of the debate (and subsequent defeat of that part of the motion). Other key issues keeping GP matters in the media eye were criticisms of NHS Direct referrals, and NHS reforms in general. More in the next report on the profession’s reaction to Lord Darzi’s proposals for a chain of polyclinics in London.
Press Releases
14th June 2007 Brown’s flagship NHS policy could fail, warns GPs leader
18th June 2007 What do GPs really feel? – Major new BMA survey
20 June 2007 BMA response to Conservative party health plans
28 June 2007 Dr Hamish Meldrum elected BMA Chairman
5 July 2007 Invitation to New Horizons Nat GP Registrars Conference
10 July 2007 Election for new GPC chairman
11 July 2007 Polyclincis would threaten NHS services, warns BMA
June 2007 broadcasts and cuttings
National / Regional / TotalPrint: / 48 / 63 / 111
Broadcasts: / 12 / 43 / 55
TV: / 2 / 4 / 6
Radio: / 10 / 39 / 49
SUBJECT / National
broadcast / National print / Regional broadcast / Regional print
NHS IT / 1 / 2 / - / -
Judicial review – pensions / - / 1 / 1 / -
ARM overview / - / - / 1 / -
Abortion / - / 3 / 2 / -
Cancer screening (Scotland) / - / 1 / 1 / -
GP out-of-hours / charging for appointments / 2 / 10 / 22 / 25
Tobacco / smoking / 1 / - / - / -
GP closed lists / - / - / 1 / -
Childhood obesity – ARM motion / 2 / 5 / - / 13
NHS Direct / 3 / 1 / 13 / 2
NICE submission / 1 / 2 / - / 1
Online drug dangers / - / - / 1 / -
Prison health / 2 / - / - / -
Confidence in government / - / 3 / 1 / -
NHS waiting lists / - / 1 / - / 1
NHS reforms / - / 5 / - / 14
GP pay / - / - / - / 2
Choice of hospital / - / - / - / 1
Obituary / - / - / - / 1
Referrals / - / - / - / 1
New BMA chairman / 1 / 1 / - / 1
Social security / - / 1 / - / 1
New health secretary announcement / 1 / 1 / - / -
GMC fitness to practice / - / 2 / - / -
GP survey / - / 1 / - / -
Alcohol / - / 3 / - / -
Rationing / - / 1 / - / -
Heart screening / - / 1 / - / -
BMA council voting process / - / 1 / - / -
Patient access to GP notes / - / 1 / - / -
Pricing of pharmaceutical medicines / - / 1 / - / -
TOTAL / 12 / 48 / 43 / 63
BMA spokespeople / Broadcast / Print
Hamish Meldrum / 8 / 19
Richard Vautrey / 1 / 2
Charlie Daniels / 1 / 3
Dean Marshall / 9 / -
Sam Everington / 1 / 4
Kailash Chand / 1 / 6
Matt Capehorn / 2 / 17
Laurence Buckman / 4 / 2
David Baker / 1 / -
John Canning / 2 / -
Brian Balmer / 1 / -
Tony Hillier / 1 / -
David Bailey / 1 / -
Eric Rose / 1 / 6
Nigel Watson / 2 / -
Ashok Rayani / 2 / -
Ian Bailey / 1 / -
Peter Weaving / 1 / -
Helena McKeown / 3 / -
Andrew Green / 2 / 15
George Rae / 5 / 5
Ian Thompson / - / 1
Jonathan Fielden / - / 1
Brian Dunn / - / 1
Peter Holden / - / 1
Ian Banks / - / 2
Rob Barnett / - / 1
Tom Frewin / - / 1
Brian McGregor / - / 1
Tom McKinstry / - / 1
Andrew Thompson / - / 1
Fay Wilson / - / 1
Chris Spencer-Jones / - / 1
BMA mentions / 5 / 34
TOTAL / 55 / 126
BROADCASTS
Wednesday 27 June 2007
NHS IT
· Richard Vautrey - GMTV
Judicial review on pensions
· Hamish Meldrum - Sunrise Radio
ARM overview (alcohol & abortion)
· Charlie Daniels - Palm Radio
Abortion
· Wave FM
· West Sound
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Cancer screening
· Dean Marshall - BBC Radio Scotland
Monday, 25 June 2007
GP out-of-hours
· Hamish Meldrum - BBC Radio 4 ‘Today programme’
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Tobacco report
· Dr Sam Everington - BBC 1 Breakfast News
GP closed lists
· Dr Kailash Chand - Channel M TV
Thursday, 14 June 2007
ARM motion - Is child obesity is form of abuse?
· Dr Matthew Capehorn - BBC Radio 5 Live / BBC Radio 4
NHS Direct
· Laurence Buckman - BBC Radio Lincs
£20 charge to see GP
· David Baker - BBC Radio Lincs
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
NHS Direct referrals
· Dr Hamish Meldrum - BBC Radio 4 ‘Today programme’ / BBC Radio 5 Live /
BBC Radio Nottingham X2 / BBC Radio York / BBC Radio 2 ‘Wake up to Wogan’
· Laurence Buckman - BBC Radio Bristol / BBC Radio Three Counties / BBC Radio Newcastle
· Dr John Canning - BBC Radio Cleveland x 2
· Dr Brian Balmer - BBC Radio Essex
· Dr Tony Hillier - BBC Radio Northants
· David Bailey - BBC Radio Wales
· Eric Rose - BBC Radio Northants
BMA submission to the Common's Select Committee about NICE
· Dr Nigel Watson - BBC Radio 4 ‘Today programme’
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Dangers of purchasing drugs online
· Dr Nigel Watson - BBC TV South Today
Extended Opening hours
· Dean Marshall: Forth One / BBC Radio Scotland X5 / Tay FM / BBC1 TV Scotland
Friday, 8 June 2007
Prison health
· Dr Ashok Rayani - Sky News Radio / BBC Radio 5 Live
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
Lost confidence in Government
· Ian Bailey - BBC Radio Kent
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Charging for evening/weekend appointments
· Peter Weaving - BBC Radio Cumbria
· Helena McKeown - BBC Radio Wiltshire
· Andrew Green - BBC 1 North TV / BBC Radio 2
Monday, 4 June 2007
Charging for evening/weekend appointments
· George Rae - BBC Radio Cleveland / BBC Radio Newcastle X4
· Helena McKeown - BBC Radio Wiltshire X2
· Hereward FM
· Ocean FM
· Northants FM
NATIONAL PRESS CUTTINGS
29/06
· The Guardian P. 5 – NHS staff crisis will be Johnson’s first task
· The Times P. 38 – GP elected as new leader (Hamish Meldrum)
· The Times P. 38 – Doctors fight shake-up on professional discipline (Hamish Meldrum / Laurence Buckman / Sam Everington)
28/06
· The Times P. 2 – Did you know? Physician, heal thyself
· The Times P. 11 – ‘Unfit’ for the NHS
· The Guardian P. 12 – Doctors call for easier access to abortions in first three months
27/06
· Financial Times P. 2 – GPs go to court over pension cap
· Evening Standard P. 24 – BMA calls for women to get quicker access to abortion
· The Times P. 2 – Cancer computer ‘chaos’
· Daily Telegraph P. 14 – Surgeries ‘to turn info job centres’
· The Independent P. 13 – Alcohol-linked NHS admissions double in 10 years (Charlie Daniels)
· The Guardian P. 12 – Drink taking heavy toll on children (Charlie Daniels)
· The Times P. 33 – For health’s sake outlaw drinking in the streets, say doctors (Ian Thompson)
26/06
· Daily Telegraph P. 11 – Doctors back NHS rationing
25/06
· Daily Express P. 21 – Heart-screening plans under fire (Hamish Meldrum)
· The Independent P. 38 – Letters: When doctors lead, patients benefit (from Hamish Meldrum & Jonathan Fielden)
· Evening Standard P. 22 – Labour has lost support of doctors says BMA boss (Sam Everington)
· The Times P. 26 – Scepticism over NHS reform (Sam Everington)
· The Independent P. 8 – More than half of people back new NHS charges (Sam Everington)
23/06
· Daily Telegraph P. 12 – ‘Change law to let nurses perform abortions’
21/06
· The Guardian P. 37 - Letters: How bad service can be costly for GPs (from Hamish Meldrum)
20/06
· Daily Mirror P. 8 – Points of disorder (Kailash Chand)
· The Independent P. 31 – Doctors are as much to blame for NHS woes as the government – only they won’t admit it
19/06
· Daily Mail P. 51 – Who’ll be spying on your secrets? (Richard Vautrey)
17/06
· The Sunday Telegraph P. 10 – Surgeon praised by Blair gives up on the UK
15/06
· Daily Express P. 21 – Parents who make children fat should face court say GPs (Matt Capehorn)
· Daily Mail P. 10 – Treat child obesity as neglect, say doctors (Matt Capehorn)
· The Sun P. 16 – Fat kids’ parents guilty of neglect (Matt Capehorn)
· Daily Telegraph P. 4 – Take obese children from parents, say doctors (Matt Capehorn)
· Daily Mail P. 11 – Sack Hewitt for NHS failings, demands BMA (Hamish Meldrum / Eric Rose)
· Daily Telegraph P. 1 – GPs have no confidence in Hewitt (Hamish Meldrum / Eric Rose)
14/06
· Daily Mail P. 28 – NHS Direct ‘is more a hindrance than a help’ (Hamish Meldrum)
· Evening Standard P. 9 – Children taken into care because they are too obese (Matt Capehorn)
· GPs pass vote of no confidence in Labour (Hamish Meldrum)
05/06
· Daily Star P. 2 – Outrage over £20 doc charge (Hamish Meldrum)
· Daily Express P. 12 – If greedy doctors are not careful they will kill the Health Service
04/06
· Daily Telegraph P. 4 – GP wants patients to pay £20 for evening surgeries (Hamish Meldrum / Andrew Green)
· Daily Mail P. 1 & 2 – Pay £20 to see your GP in the evening (Hamish Meldrum / Andrew Green)
· Daily Mail P. 12 – Editorial comment: Bad medicine
· Evening Standard P. 16 – NHS doctors want to charge patients £20 for evening consultations (Hamish Meldrum / Andrew Green)
· Evening Standard P. 12 – Editorial comment: Out of hours
· The Sun P. 11 - £20 bill to see GP in evening
· Daily Express P. 6 – GPs want £20 for late call-out
03/06
· The Sunday Times P. 2 – See us out of hours? That’s £20 say GPs (Andrew Green)
· The Sunday Telegraph P. 12 – Shipman successors let patients see GP notes and scans (Laurence Buckman
· The Sunday Telegraph P. 5 – A poison pill for the NHS (Brian Dunn)
· Sunday Express P. 36 – Doctors revolt over law change (Peter Holden)
01/06
· The Guardian P. 37 – Letters: GP services on the mend despite BMA gloom
REGIONAL PRESS CUTTINGS
4/6
· London Lite “£20 charge to see a GP out of hours”P.4. Andrew Green quote
· Yorkshire Post “Outcry at scandalous call for £20 fee to see GP out of hours” P.6. Andrew Green quote. Hamish Meldrum quote
· Chester Evening Leader “Doctors £20 evening fee proposal sparks anger” P.10. Andrew Green quote
· Manchester Evening News “Patient’s fury over call for £20 charge to see a GP in evening” P.6 Andrew Green quote
· North West Evening Mail “Plan to charge night patients” P.4
· Shropshire Star “GPs call for evening fees” P. 1 Andrew Green quote
· Norwich Evening News “GPs’ plan to charge patients cause a storm” P.6
· Scarborough Evening News “Fury over GPs’ £20 night fee proposal” P.8
· Sheffield Star “GPs’ £20 charge row” P.6
· Northants Evening Telegraph “Fury at £20 night call fee proposal” P.10 Andrew Green quote
· Peterborough Evening Telegraph “£20 night charge plea by doctors” P.4 Andrew green quote
· Northampton Chronicle “Anger over GPs’ £20 night-call charge bid” P.4 Andrew Green quote
5/6
· Birmingham Post “Free for all?” P.10
· Birmingham Post “City doctors against £20 out of hours charges” P.2. Andrew Thompson quote. Fay Wilson quote. Andrew Green quote
· Bristol Evening Post “GP says no to non-vital night visits” P.16. Tom Frewin quote
· Leicester Mercury “Doctors speak out against proposal to charge patients” P.5
· Oxford Mail “Doctors’ No to charges” P.5
· Sunderland Echo “Want to see a doctor? That’ll be £20” P.6. George Rae quote
· The Press (York) “Should you have to pay this much to see your GP at night?”P.10,11. Andrew Green quote. Brian McGregor quote
· Bournemouth Daily echo “£20 charge to see a GPs a scandal” P.9 Tom McKinstry quote
7/6
· Widnes Weekly News “Doctors propose evening surgery charge” P.7. Andrew green quote
8/6
· Newcastle Journal “Thousands wait too long for treatment” P.8 George Rae quote
9/6
· Southampton Daily Echo “GPs dispensing the wrong remedy” P.18. Andrew Green quote
· Bolton News “Outrage at plan for £20 fee to see doctor” P.7
12/6
· Darlington Northern Echo “GP warns of £20 a patient charge” P.12. George Rae quote. Ian Banks quote.
· Durham Northern Echo “GP warns of £20 a patient charge” P.12. George Rae quote. Ian Banks quote.
13/6
· Manchester Evening News “Doctors blast NHS Direct” P.11. Kailash Chand quote
14/6
· London Lite “20 kids are put in care for being fat” P.5 Matt Capehorn quote
· Norwich Evening News ”Obesity is a child protection issue, say doctors” P.2 Matt Capehorn quote
· Sheffield Star “Obesity in kids is neglect” P.1. Matt Capehorn quote
· Leicester Mercury “Chile obesity is neglect” P.9. Matt Capehorn quote
· Dorset Echo “Doctors want action over child obesity” P.2 Matt Capehorn quote
· Newcastle Journal “LMC Conference today” P.2