welcome

Brief notes about me

Ever wonder why getting an appointment with a family doctor is rather difficult these days? Part of an endangered species in the NHS.

Trying to survive the irresponsible, idiotic and frankly dangerous policies of successive governments, all aimed at destroying General Practice and with it, the entire NHS.

When not getting bogged down with work, or getting confused with code, aims to live a quiet life, foraging for nuts and berries with loving wife, kid(s) and dogs. And trying to be a little bit creative.

Notable dates
(for those with short memories)

• 1997: New Labour voted in
• 2004: New GP contract - with a clause enabling government to impose changes with 12 weeks 'consultation'*
• 2008: Labour exploit the clause* and impose contract forcing GPs to work 12 hour days to regain lost funding (extended hours)
• 2013: Conservatives exploit the clause* and impose contract leading to funding cuts and increased workload chasing spurious targets
• 2015: Conservatives win election and promise 8 till 8 opening 7 days a week (extended access)
• 2016: Jeremy Hunt plans to impose contract on Junior Doctors in bid for
• 2017: Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister deny claims by Red Cross that NHS is suffering a humanitarian crisis despite clear evidence of worst winter performance on record
• 2018: Extended access starts, funded at twice the cost of daytime General Practice - talk about marginal voters skewing priorities
• 2019: New GP contract forces practices to join together to form networks - the phrase 'stapling turkeys together doesn't make you an eagle' comes to mind
• 2022: Conservatives exploit the clause* again and impose contract forcing GPs to deliver services 9am to 5pm on Saturdays
• 2023: Conservatives exploit the clause* again and impose contract forcing GPs to skew clinical priorities with a twisted focus on access, entirely based on distorted public perceptions of lazy GPs not doing anything, when in fact General Practice is the only sector in the NHS that has increased productivity compared to pre-pandemic levels
• 2024: Conservatives exploit the clause* for the third year in a row, impose contract with insulting 2% pay uplift

* Clause was only to be used in state of national emergency, such as war!

Musings & predictions

• 2008: Count My Worth
• 2008: Santa and the poor GP - a joke
• 2009: Demise of the NHS - Leaked Memo
• 2009: NHS Management
• 2009: Thank you from a once young GP
• 2009: Ben Bradshaw wants to see his GP
• 2009: More Evidence Based QOF Changes
• 2009: Resignation letter to the RCGP
• 2009: A Typical Sunday
• 2013: Letter to Jeremy Hunt
• 2014: Letter to the Prime Minister
• 2015: A Crisis in General Practice
• 2015: An Alternative 10 Point Plan
• 2015: More Election Promises for the NHS
• 2015: My Prediction of the Future
• 2016: Letter to the GPC regarding STPs
• 2016: The State of General Practice
• 2016: The Picture of UK General Practice
• 2017: The State of General Practice Video
• 2017: The Politics of General Practice Video
• 2018: The Economies of Working at Scale

• David Cameron's 7 day NHS
• In the Beginning there was the Plan
• Choice telephone survey
• Administratium

• Hospital Correspondence Compliance Form
• BMA & RCGP release a joint statement
• Free Lamborghini
• Screening criteria

• Christmas Wishes 2016
• Request For Information From UK National Health Service General Practice or UK National Health Service General Practitioner