A new BMJ article highlights the importance of general practice in shaping the future of NHS primary care.
The article considers recent NHS policies, including the 10-Year Plan, and emphasises the crucial role that general practice can and should play in primary care reforms.
“General practice should not be viewed as a relic of the past or a legacy model. Time with patients, clinical autonomy, and continuity of care are not outdated ideals—they are critical enablers of effective, efficient, community-based healthcare, backed by a robust evidence base,” the authors write.
The authors advocate for genuine involvement of GPs in shaping reform implementation, ensuring that the unique strengths of general practice are protected and enhanced—not diminished. To accomplish this, they emphasise the importance of “meaningful support and engagement, alongside active participation, inclusive leadership, and a shared commitment to collaboration.”
Reflecting on the article, Dr Raj Bajwa, GP and Lead for Strategy and Partnerships in the BOB NHS ICB, said, “If we’re serious about improving care closer to home, we need to recognise the foundational role general practice plays in local health systems. The move towards neighbourhood-based working is welcome, but its success will rely on GPs being actively involved in shaping how these models evolve—not just delivering them.”
RCGP Vice Chair and Chair-elect, Professor Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, has also shared the post on LinkedIn.
In their article, the authors highlight some challenges of implementing primary care reforms and emphasise the need for diverse stakeholder engagement and robust evidence. One example is the rollout of additional roles (e.g., paramedics, physiotherapists, social prescribers) into general practice. To address this knowledge gap, Professor Mahtani and Dr Abrams are beginning an NIHR-funded programme to evaluate and synthesise the evidence of these additional roles, as well as to engage and bring together a broad range of stakeholders to help contextualise their findings.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their associated organisations.