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

Contact us and share your opinionJoin Andy and Gandhi as they cover the impact of local and national events in General Practice as we kick off 2026Join Andy and Gandhi for the first update of 2026 in General PracticeWelcome to 2026Waiting for Neighbourhood Guidance???GP suspended after blocking out appointments to collect children???https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/reg... 5m suspensionSpecific facts available if you want to explore thisLinks to public record of the hearingMany suggest sanction is excessiveWe will discuss the issues around itLong hoursLack of flexibilityCulture of not being able to admit or address pressuresTo pick up kids - pressure, child care, culture…Calls to end GP-issued fit notes after 40,000 per day issued in 2025https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/cli... Some 40,000 people were signed off with fit notes each working day last yearCentre 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 boxThey 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.ThoughtsDifficult 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 patientsTalk of removing this responsibility from GP s for some timeUsed to be that 3-6m sickness DWP service assessed - this was removed at some point. Sounds like bringing that backBehaviour of job centreAlso financial and societal/social pressure to return - presenteeismEMIS set to be bought by US private equity firm in deal worth over £1bnhttps://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/tec... The largest supplier of GP IT systems in England could be bought by a US private equity firm in deal worth more than £1bn. TPG is set to buy Optum UK, the company that owns the EMIS electrJoin Dr Mike as he shares how to get started and fly using EMIS to make your life easier with this clinical systembit.ly/EMIScourse