Latest news with #RCGP
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Calls to clean up England's ‘toxic air' as GP visits for asthma attacks rise 45%
The number of patients being treated by GPs for asthma attacks has increased by 45% in a year, prompting calls for urgent action to tackle toxic levels of air pollution. There were 45,458 presentations to family doctors in England between January and June this year, according to data from the Royal College of General Practitioners research and surveillance centre. Across the same period in 2024, there were 31,376 cases. The figures come a week after a damning report by the Royal College of Physicians revealed that 99% of the UK population was now breathing in 'toxic air'. Air pollution was killing 500 people a week and costing £27bn a year in ill health, NHS care and productivity losses, the research showed. New data from the RCGP research and surveillance centre shows the rate of asthma attacks in 2025 has consistently been above the five-year average. Exacerbations of asthma – attacks which cause breathlessness and chest tightness – were, alongside other environmental and lifestyle factors, closely linked to air pollution as patients' airways could be irritated by exposure to harmful matter, the RCGP said. The college is calling on ministers and the mayors of major cities to expand existing clean air zones to combat the health consequences of air pollution. In an interview with the Guardian, Prof Kamila Hawthorne, the chair of the RCGP, said: 'GPs have long been sounding the alarm on the detrimental effects of air pollution on patients' health and these latest figures on asthma exacerbations are extremely concerning. 'Air pollution is a major public health crisis which is often overlooked, but we know it can be responsible for a range of serious physical and mental conditions and will often exacerbate existing conditions in patients. 'We have been very encouraged by the efforts of the mayors in major cities such as Birmingham and London to reduce air pollution exposure through schemes such as the Ulez initiative, which are reporting very positive results. 'But these latest statistics show that we need to go further, expanding the focus on reducing air pollution in the worst affected communities.' The Department of Health and Social Care has said its 10-year health plan, due to be published next Thursday, will shift the NHS from treatment to prevention. Tackling air pollution must be a key part of the plan, Hawthorne said. 'If we don't take measures to address this, it is patients who will suffer the consequences – particularly those in more economically deprived areas with already limited access to healthcare services. 'As well as the devastating human cost, this will ultimately also result in a greater burden on an already overstretched NHS.' Sarah Sleet, the chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said the 'huge increase' in asthma attacks was 'extremely worrying'. 'While there may be multiple factors at play, we know that air pollution can be deadly for the millions of people in the UK living with lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,' she said. 'It can trigger life-threatening attacks and exacerbate symptoms, leaving people fighting for breath. It stunts the growth of children's lungs, and being exposed to high levels of air pollution over a long period of time can also cause lung conditions. 'Yet still the government has shown no political will to tackle toxic levels of air pollution, which across the UK are much higher than the recommended safe levels set by the World Health Organization.' Prof Steve Turner, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said he was 'alarmed' by the rise in asthma attacks and urged ministers to 'act quickly'. About one in 10 children in the UK have asthma. Previous studies show steep rises in visits to doctors by children with asthma after a week of raised air pollution levels. 'These attacks are distressing, serious and life threatening, but they are also preventable,' Turner said. 'Exposure to high concentrations of air pollution increases the risk of both developing asthma and triggering attacks.' Dr Harry Apperley, a clinical fellow at the RCPCH, said the impact of toxic air on children's health was 'particularly profound' because their lungs were smaller and they breathed faster than adults, so inhaled a larger volume of air in a shorter period. 'In hospital, I'm increasingly seeing children and families living in or near environments that harm their health … Politicians and policymakers need to act. It shouldn't take a clinician's letter, or even a child's death, to make change happen,' he said. A government spokesperson said: 'Air pollution is a serious public health issue, and we are committed to tackling this issue across the country. 'We have already provided £575m to support local authorities to improve air quality and are developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone's exposure to air pollution is reduced.'
Evening Standard
4 days ago
- Health
- Evening Standard
£2.2bn of ‘wasteful' NHS spending to be diverted to working classes
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said: 'A patient's postcode and where they live should not determine the level of NHS care they receive, so a review of the funding formula for general practice – which currently does not account for health inequalities – is a good thing, something the college has campaigned for and is long overdue.
Medscape
12-06-2025
- Business
- Medscape
RCGP Urges Support to Save Declining GP Partnership Model
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has warned that GP partnerships are under threat, as the number of partners in England has dropped by 25% over the past decade. In a new report, the college urged action to 'break down barriers to partnership' and called for modernisation of the model to make it more attractive to younger doctors. While the RCGP reaffirmed its support for the independent contractor model, it said there was 'room for modernisation and innovation', and backed ' a mixed economy' of contractual models to deliver general practice. Shift in Workforce Between 2015 and 2025, the number of GP partners in England fell from 24,491 to 18,367. Over the same period, the number of salaried GPs rose by 81%, from 10,270 in September 2015 to 18,557 in December 2024. As of June 2024, GP partners were a minority among fully qualified GPs for the first time. The most significant drop in partnership was seen in younger doctors. Among GPs aged 30-34, numbers fell by 72.9%. The only age group to show growth was those aged 60-64, up by 19.5%. Barriers to Partnership Rising workload, administrative burdens, and concerns about financial risk were cited as major deterrents to partnership. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, RCGP chair, said that many GPs were discouraged by the unlimited personal liability that comes with being a partner. She also pointed to the responsibilities of owning or leasing premises and managing staff, especially as patient demand increases. Exploring Alternatives The RCGP report explored alternative business models that could support general practice, including limited companies, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and community benefit societies. The college maintained that partnerships still offered flexibility and potential for innovation, particularly if financial and workload pressures could be reduced. In 2024, more than half (55%) of RCGP members said they would be more likely to consider partnership if financial risks were lower. A review by Lord Darzi highlighted the financial discipline of GP partnerships, noting that they could not run large deficits like other parts of the NHS. Earlier this year, the Nuffield Trust described the current GP partnership model as 'withering'. The health think tank warned that the government's plans to improve GP access were at risk due to the fall in partner numbers. Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, told Medscape News UK : 'It is hard to see partnership being the dominant model in the future.' She called for support where the model works well, but said new models must also be explored. Hawthorne maintained that 'there are elements of the traditional GP partnership that can be improved and modernised, while retaining its core strengths'. The GP partnership model has huge benefits for the NHS and for patients, she added. Government Response A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson acknowledged the strengths of the partnership model, including efficiency, innovation, and continuity of care. 'However, we also recognise that this is not the only model delivering general practice,' the spokesperson told Medscape News UK . 'GP practices can choose to organise themselves in different ways and also provide good outcomes in terms of staff engagement and patient experience.'
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
One of NHS's biggest AI projects is halted after fears it used health data of 57 MILLION people without proper permissions
NHS England has paused a ground-breaking AI project designed to predict an individual's risk of health conditions after concerns were raised data from 57 million people was being used without the right permissions. Foresight, which uses Meta 's open-source AI model, Llama 2, was being tested by researchers at University College London and King's College London as part of a national pilot scheme exploring how AI could be used to tailor healthcare plans for patients based on their medical history. But the brakes were applied to the pioneering scheme after experts warned even anonymised records could contain enough information to identify individuals, The Observer reported. A joint IT committee between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) also said it they had not been made aware that data collected for research into Covid was now being used to train the AI model. The bodies have also accused the research consortium, led by Health Data Research UK, of failing to consult an advisory body of doctors before feeding the health data of tens of millions of patients into Foresight. Both BMA and RGCP have asked NHS England to refer itself to the Information Commissioner over the matter. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of RGCP, said the issue was one of 'fostering patient trust' that their data was not being used 'beyond what they've given permission for.' She said: 'As data controllers, GPs take the management of their patients' medical data very seriously, and we want to be sure data isn't being used beyond its scope, in this case to train an AI programme. 'We have raised our concerns with NHS England, through the Joint GP IT Committee, and the committee has called for a pause on data processing in this way while further investigation takes place, and for NHS England to refer itself to the Information Commissioner. 'Patients need to be able to trust their personal medical data is not being used beyond what they've given permission for, and that GPs and the NHS will protect their right to data privacy. 'If we can't foster this patient trust, then any advancements made in AI – which has potential to benefit patient care and alleviate GP workload – will be undermined. 'We hope to hear more from NHS England in due course, providing definitive and transparent answers to inform our next steps.' Katie Bramall, BMA England GP committee chair, said: 'For GPs, our focus is always on maintaining our patients' trust in how their confidential data is handled. 'We were not aware that GP data, collected for Covid-19 research, was being used to train an AI model, Foresight. 'As such, we are unclear as to whether the correct processes were followed to ensure that data was shared in line with patients' expectations and established governance processes. 'We have raised our concerns with NHS England through the joint GP IT committee and appreciate their verbal commitment to improve on these processes going forward. 'The committee has asked NHS England to refer itself to the Information Commissioner so the full circumstances can be understood, and to pause ongoing processing of data in this model, as a precaution, while the facts can be established.' 'Patients shouldn't have to worry that what they tell their GP will get fed to AI models without the full range of safeguards in place to dictate how that data is shared.' An NHS spokesperson confirmed that development of the Foresight model had been paused for the time being.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Top GP warns NI rise will make waiting times worse
GP waiting times in Wales will get worse as a result of increases to businesses' National Insurance contributions, a senior doctor has warned. Dr Rowena Christmas, chairwoman of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Wales, said the changes announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Budget felt like an "absolute crisis" and a "crushing disappointment". The UK government said it had provided funding to support businesses with NI increases. But the Welsh government said this was based on England's costs rather than Wales' actual needs and Downing Street had left it with a "significant shortfall". Unlike other NHS services, GP practices operate as private businesses and are funded by government contracts, which means they are not exempt from the NI increases, which came into effect last month. GP partners now have to pay NI at 15% on salaries above £5,000 instead of 13.8% on salaries above £9,100. Back of queue threat for people who miss NHS appointments Under fire GP company hands more surgeries back Monmouthshire-based Dr Christmas said funding cuts, inflation and the rise in the cost of living had made it difficult for GPs to keep going. "It's hard to be so pessimistic, but this is such a catastrophic situation we suddenly find ourselves in out of nowhere," she said. She added the new tax rate would cost her practice £20,000 a year, with larger practices facing additional costs of up to £90,000. In January the BMA's Welsh GP committee voted to accept an updated pay offer, which includes a one-off £23m payment aimed at stabilising practices. Dr Christmas said the new agreement was "a very welcome relief" but warned it would not solve the long-term challenges and called for GP practices to be exempt from the NI rise. "If we can't turn that into recurrent funding, we're back to square one or even worse off. It's a temporary breather," she added. "We all know what's best for patients. But if we're constantly trying to pick up the pieces, we can't do that quality job that we need to that will save the NHS in the long run." Dr Meleri Evans, an Anglesey GP, said her practice expected to pay between £30,000 and £50,000 more a year. She said: "This means we're going to have to change the way that we do business and the reality is that the only way that a GP partner can do that is to look at reducing the services they currently provide. "For the majority of people that comes down to reducing staffing costs. So there are certainly going to be very difficult decisions, including possible redundancies." In response to the Budget and growing worries within the profession, the British Medical Association's Welsh GP committee entered into negotiations with the Welsh government earlier this year to revise the General Medical Services contract for 2024-25. The UK government said health was a devolved matter and was an issue for the Welsh government, but added that ministers in Cardiff Bay had received additional funding on top of £21bn for changes in NI for employers. The Welsh government said: "Our initial estimate is devolved public sector employers in Wales face a £253m extra cost. The approach the UK government is taking leaves us with a significant shortfall." It added increases should be be fully funded by Westminster and it was pressing the Treasury on this issue. Top GP says doctors are united in fear about NHS GPs and Welsh NHS face collapse, doctors say
