About the Campaign

Phase Two

On the 27th Setpember 2023, the BMA funded campaign ‘Rebuild General Practice’ released new data showing that patients want their family doctor back.

A new survey carried out by YouGov found that most people in Britain want to see the same GP each time, in a surgery near where they live.

The poll also unveiled the elements of general practice most valued by patients, including:

• Receiving long-term support for any medical condition (95%)
• GPs’ ability to treat a wide range of medical issues (96%)
• Having concerns listened to (97%)
• Being seen in a friendly environment (90%)

Read Wessex LMCs Press Release here

Rebuild General Practice is calling for an end to decades of neglecting the profession - so that GPs can meet the public’s desire for a return of the family doctor.

There is a crisis in general practice caused by a lack of funding and failure to retain doctors in the profession, leading to an inability to deliver the continuous, community centred care desired by patients.

The government must deliver a proper plan to retain the workforce, keep patients safe, and protect the NHS.

If you are interested in getting involved in the campaign, please email hello@rebuildgp.co.uk and follow @RebuildGP on social media.

Phase One

A recent poll of more than 1300 GPs found: General Practice is in crisis. Patient safety is at risk.

Monday 21st March 2022, saw the launch of the BMA & GPDF funded campaign, Rebuild General Practice; with a clear call to action for UK and devolved Governments: rebuild General Practice or put patient safety at increasing risk.Nearly 9 in 10 GPs fear patients aren't always safe at their surgeries.

• 7 out of 10 GPs feel the risk to ‘patient safety’ is increasing.
• GPs cited staff shortages and too little time for appointments as the main factors putting patients at risk -
  • 86% of GPs stated they didn’t have enough time with patients
  • 77% of GPs said GP shortages were putting patient safety at risk

The Rebuild General Practice campaign comes at a time of ‘crisis’ when appointment numbers are peaking post-pandemic, while GP workforce numbers are on the decline.

Campaign leads will raise patient safety concerns and set out a 3-point plan for a General Practice rebuild. This must include:

• Recruitment: The U.K. Government delivering on its commitment of an additional 6,000 GPs in England by 2024.
• Retention: Tackling the factors driving GPs out of the profession such as burn out.
• Safety: A plan to reduce GP workload and in turn improve patient safety.

The plan will deliver the General Practice service that patients and staff deserve. Rebuilding General Practice will:

• Give GPs across the UK the time back to deliver the quality of care they want to be able to give patients, while ensuring that patients are cared for by the right General Practice team member.
• Resolve the difficulties many patients are facing in getting timely GP appointments.
• Benefit the NHS as a whole, by alleviating pressure on hospitals and help to tackle the backlog which existed long before the pandemic.

GPs in South of England campaign to rebuild general practice as patient safety at risk: Read Wessex LMCs Press Release, sent to local media on Friday 25th March 2022.

Get involved

Your support to amplify these messages will help raise the alarm and ultimately secure a better working environment for both GPs and patients.

General Practice can like and share the @RebuildGP campaign messages on social media using the hashtag #RebuildGP.

Visit the Rebuild General Practice website and download campaign assets below. Practices are encouraged to use this content to share within their networks, publicise to patients and meet with their local MP.

Draft letter template to send to your local MP

Example Q&A's for interview purposes

Media Training Pack - Tips to help GPs when dealing with the media

Myth Busting

Campaign assets for General Practice use

Social Media Banners

Email Signature

Logo	Template Text for Tweets

Social Media Fact Cards

Online Media Coverage

Jeremy Hunt joins BMA call to stem ‘bleed’ of NHS doctors

Ex-Health Secretary teams up with 'former enemies' to shame Government over GP crisis

Lack of GPs to cause 100 practices per year to close says British Medical Association

Warning over patient safety as poll shows 87% of GPs say they are too snowed under with work

'Uberisation' of GP services is putting patients at risk, Jeremy Hunt warns as he calls for patients to always be seen by same family doctor

GPs warn about patient safety as they tackle care backlog in UK

NHS moving towards ‘Uberisation’ of GP services, warns Jeremy Hunt

Over 80% of UK GPs think patients are at risk in their surgery, survey finds

GPs unveil blueprint to rebuild general practice backed by former health secretary

BMA and Jeremy Hunt join forces for campaign to ‘rebuild general practice’

‘Rebuild general practice’ campaign launched by BMA and Jeremy Hunt

British Social Attitudes Survey

Public satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to its lowest level since 1997, according to analysis of the 2021 British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) published 30th March 2022, by The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust. Read more here

Dr Rachel Ward, a GP in Oxfordshire who is part of the Rebuild General Practice campaign: “As a doctor who came into General Practice to look after patients, this data is devastating, but it isn’t surprising. Years of underfunding and neglect has left General Practice in crisis. Recruitment and retention of GPs has not kept up with growing demands, yet patient appointments are at an all-time high. Simply, there are not enough GPs to match patients’ needs - and this is the terrible result. To patients, we want to say that we are on your side and we feel your pain. To Government, we ask again for more support to rebuild general practice so that GPs can provide the quality of care our patients deserve.”