Royal College of General Practitioners

Your College – working for you 👇 ✅ We appeared in the Financial Times and other national outlets on Government plans to reform fit notes, stressing that changes to the system must put patients first and avoid increasing GP workload. ✅ Our Chair Victoria featured on BBC News responding to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report on healthy ageing, highlighting the need to support GPs to deliver preventive care. ✅ We shared a briefing paper with Council members on the role of GPs in neighbourhood and community working to inform discussions at June Council. ✅ We spoke at HSJ’s Care Closer to Home Forum, highlighting the importance of ensuring urgent and community care redesign works for both GPs and patients. ✅ We responded to the National Screening Committee’s recommendation not to offer whole-population screening for prostate cancer, making clear this reflects current evidence. ✅ We responded to consultations on new NICE indicators, the HSSIB investigation report on online prescribing and patient safety, and NHS England’s NHS Medical Training Prioritisation Act: Regulations. ✅ We contributed to the Academy of Medical Royal College’s submission to the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on online harms, with Victoria being quoted in The Times. ✅ We met with the Green Party health policy group to discuss its health policy consultation and the future direction of health services. ✅ Our Medical Director for Clinical Policy Adrian Hayter contributed to ITV Tonight’s documentary on risks associated with over the counter medication.

We are pleased to announce we are currently accepting applications for our Practitioner's Allowance Grant (PAG) applications worth up to £2,000. PAGs are available to GPs who face difficulties in acquiring direct costs for a specific research activity within their practice or institution. Applications are now open. Deadline for submission: 11:59pm on the 18th of July 2026. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, visit the Scientific Foundation Board page on our website, link in the comments ⬇️

RCGP Fellowship is the highest grade of membership offered by the College and recognises members who have made a significant and distinguished contribution to general practice. It is a mark of professional excellence and peer recognition, celebrating impact across clinical practice, leadership, education, research and service to communities. Fellowship is open to UK, Overseas and International Members who meet the eligibility criteria. Activity will focus on clearly communicating the benefits and prestige of Fellowship, demystifying eligibility and the application process, and showcasing real Fellows to inspire others to apply. Link in comments. ⤵️

Are you a GP interested in research delivery? Then this advice from Dr Uwa Ima-Edomwonyi MD FRCGP, GP at Donneybrook Medical Centre in Greater Manchester, is for you. ⬇️ 1. Link up with other colleagues who are already in research and learn from their experiences 2. Complete your GCP training on NIHR Learn 3. Build support with your practice colleagues. Assign a Research Lead within the practice, in our case I took on the role, and continue to encourage staff to engage with research activities 4. Finally, 100% reach out to your Regional Research Delivery Network. You just need to email them and they're really, really helpful, super supportive and they'll hold your hand through it all. If you want to know more about getting started in research delivery within general practice, visit our website and read Uwa’s brilliant blog. Link in comments.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, with more than 64,000 men diagnosed every year. Our latest Essential Knowledge Update Hot Topic explores new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the use of transdermal estradiol patches in locally advanced prostate cancer. This concise, evidence-based update is designed to support GPs and clinicians with an interest in men’s health to stay up to date with developments in primary care and patient management. Access the resource to support your CPD and clinical decision-making. Link in comments. ⤵️ #RCGP #MensHealth #ProstateCancer

Wishing a peaceful and joyful Eid al-Adha to all our members celebrating.

Have you signed our petition yet? Patients are getting lost in the NHS maze. GPs are buried under bureaucracy trying to navigate them through. It's time to solve the maze, and that’s why we've launched a UK Parliament petition calling for: • Clearer NHS care pathways • Better access to general practice • Systems that let patients track their care If 10,000 people sign, the Government must respond. Sign and share today. Link in comments.

In the latest GP+ podcast, Dr Charlie Andrews discusses his journey into gastroenterology, the development of a new national training programme for GPs, and the value of closer working between primary and secondary care. Listen now, link in comments ⬇️

Pleased to see the newly published Academy of Medical Royal Colleges submission to DSIT on children growing up in the online world. 🌍 https://lnkd.in/eUD_tRTU 👉 This report reflects growing concern across health, education and safeguarding about the environments many children and young people are now navigating online. We are seeing increasing exposure to harmful and developmentally inappropriate content, online exploitation, misogyny, racism, bullying and highly persuasive platform design features that encourage compulsive engagement and prolonged use. 👉 The consequences are being seen across children’s mental health, sleep, concentration, relationships, learning and emotional development, particularly for vulnerable children and young people. The debate needs to move beyond narrow discussions about “screen time” and towards serious consideration of the cumulative impact of digital environments that are not designed with children’s wellbeing at their centre. Grateful to have contributed to this important work alongside colleagues from other Colleges calling for stronger protections, accountability and evidence-informed policy. And thank you 🙏 to Shamila Wanninayake and Rowena Christmas MBE, who raised this important issue at the Royal College of General Practitioners Council in September 2025. Max Prangnell Daniel O. Tim Mitchell Jeanette Dickson