Table Of ContentGeneral Practice
Under the NHS
This accessible text covers the entirety of General Practice and the General
Practitioner, from student to retirement and from the beginning of the NHS to
the present day. It provides a comprehensive historical overview representing both
academic and front-line perspectives, describing what has changed, beneficial or
otherwise, as the specialty has evolved. The details within each chapter represent
the views of the average working British GP and illustrate how the changes over
the decades have impacted patient care and its delivery. The perspective often dif-
fers from that which prevails in many academic tomes on the subject.
The topics covered, from the primary care team, changes to out-of-hours provi-
sion, the impact of IT, training, and regulation, to the future of General Practice,
will be essential reading for all doctors considering a career in the specialty and
will also be of interest to GP vocational training scheme course organisers and
trainers, overseas medical educators and healthcare policy makers, social
and medical historians, and the general public.
General Practice Under
the NHS
Past, Present and Future
James Sherifi
First edition published 2023
by CRC Press
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CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
© 2023 James Sherifi
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information or guidance contained in this book is intended for use by medical, scientific or
health-care professionals and is provided strictly as a supplement to the medical or other
professional’s own judgement, their knowledge of the patient’s medical history, relevant
manufacturer’s instructions and the appropriate best practice guidelines. Because of the
rapid advances in medical science, any information or advice on dosages, procedures
or diagnoses should be independently verified. The reader is strongly urged to consult
the relevant national drug formulary and the drug companies’ and device or material
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any of the drugs, devices or materials mentioned in this book. This book does not indicate
whether a particular treatment is appropriate or suitable for a particular individual.
Ultimately it is the sole responsibility of the medical professional to make his or her own
professional judgements, so as to advise and treat patients appropriately. The author and
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ISBN: 978-1-032-18831-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-18829-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-25646-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.1201/9781003256465
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Contents
Preface vii
About the Author ix
Abbreviations xi
1 Patients and Their Doctors 1
2 The Practice Team 23
3 The Working Week 41
4 Out-of-Hours 51
5 Information Management and Technology 65
6 Ailments and Diseases 79
7 Drugs and Therapeutics 107
8 Education and Training 139
9 Scrutiny and Regulation 181
10 The BMA and Medical Defence Organisations 203
11 Administration and Reorganisation 215
12 Finance 251
13 The Future 283
Index 291
v
Preface
The history of the NHS has been sorely neglected in published literature and that
is particularly so for the key part played by General Practice in ensuring that the
founding principles, universality, free at the point of delivery, based on clinical
need, were enacted and sustained.
Whilst there have been a number of texts that have dealt with various aspects
of primary care, none have included a comprehensive history and current guide
to the work of a GP, under one cover. This book seeks to address that omission.
It is written from and represents the perspective of the average front-line GP,
and covers every aspect of a GP’s life, from medical school to retirement. For the
sake of brevity, the book is liberally referenced and focuses on England as the
largest of the four nations.
This book is both a tribute to and a guide for the generations of doctors who
have conscientiously, selflessly and professionally worked, under-resourced and
in often trying circumstances, to successfully deliver on the NHS promise of uni-
versal, free healthcare. GPs were and are the foundation on which that promise
has been sustained for over seven decades.
I am privileged to have led a life with no regrets. Most of that life has been
spent doing a job that was emotionally challenging, intellectually stimulating,
varied, all-consuming, fun and rewarding. Most of all, I was allowed to be a part
of my patients’ lives and to listen to their wonderful stories. Quite honestly, what
could be better than that?
Jim Sherifi
vii
About the Author
James Sherifi, the author, having succumbed to polio as an infant, subsequently
developed a lifelong vocation to be a doctor, a dream realised when he gradu-
ated from Dundee University Medical School in 1975. He spent the following
five years rotating through various hospital posts before finally settling down to
a career as a GP principal in a practice in Colchester UK. Over the following
20 years, he added roles as GP vocational training scheme course organiser, GP
with special interest in neurology, occupational health physician and occasional
contributor of opinion pieces to GP journals.
The advent of a new millennium led him to seek new challenges. He left gen-
eral practice and became a consultant at an international executive search agency
specialising in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. However, his heart
remained in clinical medicine and after four years he returned once more to
the front line as a salaried GP in a semi-rural practice in Suffolk. The follow-
ing 13 years saw him add to his portfolio of experiences in roles including GP
appraiser, medical undergraduate tutor and examiner, CQC inspector, medical
member of benefits tribunal for HM Courts and Tribunals and contributor of
opinion pieces and learning modules to a variety of journals.
His enduring love of the subject impelled him to write this book.
ix
