GMC suspends GP, 40k Fit notes and more in General Practice for 2026

Join Andy and Gandhi as they cover the impact of local and national events in General Practice as we kick off 2026

Join Andy and Gandhi for the first update of 2026 in General Practice

Welcome to 2026

Waiting for Neighbourhood Guidance

???GP suspended after blocking out appointments to collect children???
https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/reg...

5m suspension
Specific facts available if you want to explore this
Links to public record of the hearing
Many suggest sanction is excessive
We will discuss the issues around it
Long hours
Lack of flexibility
Culture of not being able to admit or address pressures
To pick up kids - pressure, child care, culture…



Calls to end GP-issued fit notes after 40,000 per day issued in 2025
https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/cli...

Some 40,000 people were signed off with fit notes each working day last year
Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) estimated 11 million fit notes were issued in 2025 – the majority by GPs.
The CSJ recommended fit note responsibility be moved away from ‘overstretched’ GPs and into a new Work and Health Service and ‘embed employment and occupational health support at the point of sign-off’.
See box
They also said the total includes fit notes signed off as ‘may be fit for work’ as well as ‘not fit for work’.
This is despite the Government introducing legislation in 2022 which expanded fit note certification to other professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. Last year, Government-commissioned research found limited take up of healthcare professionals other than GPs writing fit notes since the 2022 reforms.

Thoughts
Difficult to treat, maintain relationship, trust whilst enforcing a need to return to work?
Move to online consultations removing direct engagement with patients and losing opportunities to support back to work - something thats good for patients
Talk of removing this responsibility from GP s for some time
Used to be that 3-6m sickness DWP service assessed - this was

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