Gloucestershire LMC

NHS PAID £500,000 OF YOUR MONEY TO BUY ONE MAN SILENCE Gary Walker ran United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (@ULHT_News). He watched the @NHS push non-emergency waiting targets so hard that emergency patients were being left at risk. He refused to play along. So they sacked him. The official reason? Swearing too much in meetings. Right. What actually happened was Walker had used whistleblowing legislation to raise patient safety concerns, and was then handed a gagging clause so secret he was forbidden from even acknowledging it existed. They called it a supergag. The settlement, including legal costs, came to around £500,000 of taxpayers money. He signed it because he was in danger of losing his house, had children to support, and knew that attacking the very top of the NHS came with dramatic consequences. Then in February 2013, one week after the Francis Report into Mid Staffs landed without a single person being held accountable for hundreds of deaths, Gary Walker had had enough. He broke the supergag live on BBC Radio 4's Today programme (@BBCr4today). The Trust's lawyers immediately wrote to him threatening he would have to repay the full £500,000. The Health Secretary at the time called it the wrong thing to do. Attacked a culture of institutional self-preservation. Said strong words. Nothing structurally changed. Gary Walker remained blacklisted from the NHS and found getting work almost impossible. That, as he put it himself, is the plight of most whistleblowers whether they win or lose. He raised concerns about patient safety. He was sacked, silenced, threatened with financial ruin, and then professionally destroyed. NHS called that protecting patients. Source: Bureau of Investigative Journalism (@TBIJ), BBC (@BBCNews), @DailyMail

A 3.5% pay award means another real terms pay cut for doctors in England. With inflation already higher, this fails to address historic pay erosion and sends a clear message about how doctors are valued. Read more: bma.org.uk/news-and-opini…

An overwhelming majority of GPs and GP registrars have voted to reject the Government's imposed contract changes for 2026/27. "These proposals heap unsafe, unfunded additional workload on to practices, forcing GPs to deliver more with less, putting patient care at risk," says @BMA_GP chair @doctor_katie

The rise in the number of GPs has not kept up with the rise in patient demand. As a result, each GP on average now sees almost 300 additional patients compared to a decade ago. This is unsustainable and dangerous for patients and GPs alike. #RebuildGP #TeamGP

‘Too much focus’ on digital and online services is affecting continuity of care in @rcgp general practice according to the public, a new @RebuildGP survey has found. pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-… via @AnnaColivicchi

GPs across England have sent a clear message. Nearly every GP who voted has rejected the Government’s imposed contract that would pile on work and be unsafe for patients. GPs want to work with Government on a new contract that’s properly resourced and sustainable. It’s time to return to the table.

99% have said no. GPs and GP registrars across England have overwhelmingly rejected the Government’s imposed contract changes for 2026/27. These plans would pile unsafe, unfunded workload onto already stretched practices, putting patient care at risk. GPs are calling on the Government to return to the table and work with the profession on a contract that’s safe, properly resourced, and sustainable.

This is a huge concern for every single GP I meet and speak to. It should be a huge concern for every patient too @HealthwatchE @NVTweeting @jacoblant

I’m fuming Dr Amir Khan on ‘No Appointment Necessary’ nails the problem with the new Advice and Guidance It’s effectively moving the hospital waiting list to the community so it’s not counted against Govt targets We see you @NHSEngland @wesstreeting youtu.be/X9MkVcquAOk?si…

GPs are seeing more patients than ever before. In just five years, GPs saw over 62 million more patients - all while the number of FTE GPs is dropping. Unsustainable numbers like this put delivering timely, high-quality care at risk. #RebuildGP #TeamGP

Vote now to have your say on the 2026/27 GP contract which is being imposed on GP practices in England. GPs are being asked to do more and more, list sizes and GP-to-patient ratios are expanding while continuity of care is shrinking.

"You can see why the default - 'we're taking you off the waiting list' - is complete political maneuvering here." @doctor_katie joined @KamranAbbasi to discuss the new GP contract overhaul in the UK. Listen to the Medicine and Science Podcast - bit.ly/4t1BjVR

It’s disappointing that @HealthwatchE don’t understand the funding. The further £300m is not new money. It is used now to pay for staff , tech …. If they represent the patient interest they need to be more critical of the spin rather than simply amplify it.

Every minute #NHS 2369 GP practice appointments are delivered in England Half by GPs Monday to Friday 8am - 6.30pm (3150 minutes a week) 388,000,000 appointments a year

I’ve voted in the @BMA_GP referendum - I’ve said no to an unsafe and imposed contract by the government. Unlimited uncapped access via eConsultation.. loss of being able to refer to a specialist.. how is this safe for patients or GPs?

This year @wesstreeting imposed a new GP contract Provided an extra £1.50 to uncap the number of calls or requests per day & stand by the phone or computer And if the job isn’t completed within 24hours the GP will be sanctioned Job specifications below - can’t see a problem🤷🏻‍♂️

Sadly the new GP Contract provided just £1.50 per patient per year of additional funding The Govt & @wesstreeting have raised your expectations However they won’t help patients get better care We need more GPs & more funding @HealthwatchE This is the new reality speak to GPs

You need to be aware that the new imposed GP contract brought to you by @wesstreeting will delay/prevent referrals to hospitals He unilaterally imposed a contract on GPs which will make care worse Just £1.50/patient/year added £ to provide more care It won’t work tell your MP

The GP Contract Imposition Referendum is OPEN. Look out for an email from bma@cesvotes.com in the next 24 hrs. Vote NO Join our first tomorrow Thursday at 12 noon to learn what the changes mean for you dd1.io/WYwwl3a

As ever, thanks to Emma for having me on the podcast Listen also on Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/6jwid6… Then go and VOTE in the referendum @BMA_GP