And the winner is…

Pulse’s annual round-up of the great, good and not-so-good of general practice

The Elon Musk award for public relations

WINNER: The BMA GP Committee (England)

Some of you might remember GPC England being embroiled in a sexism scandal in 2022. Pulse reported the first female chair, Dr Farah Jameel, took time off sick, in part because of sexist comments she faced in the role. 

So what is the best way of countering such allegations? The GPC’s solution was to pass a motion that regretfully pointed to Dr Jameel’s absence from the role. While she was on maternity leave. It makes Elon Musk’s rebranding of Twitter look like a masterstroke. 

Craig Revel Horwood harshest critic award 

WINNER: Dr Richard van Mallaerts 

Pulse revealed that GPC England voted against plans to take industrial action, instead deciding on a vague promise to reconsider it later down the line, and dressing this up as taking action. 

In a leaked WhatsApp message, then GPC negotiator Dr Richard van Mallaerts admitted there was no appetite in the profession for industrial action, but also accused Pulse of being the ‘Daily Mail of GP publications’. Twice. 

We are not claiming to be perfect, but this is surely scandalous.

The Liz Truss unwanted blast from the past award

WINNER: Lord Darzi

Remember Darzi centres – polyclinics designed to increase the number of services offered in primary care – and how they revolutionised the NHS? You don’t? Maybe that’s because they were an abject failure. 

That hasn’t stopped the peer opining on the current GP crisis. The independent GP contractor model is ‘frozen in time’ and ‘cannot keep up with today’s demands’, he argued in the Financial Times. His solution seems to be new ‘Clinics of Darzi’, which are completely new. Honest. 

The Rebekah Vardy with friends like these award

WINNER: Dr Martin Scurr

When a Pulse survey showed a bit of support for GP industrial action, private GP Dr Martin Scurr jumped into action in a Daily Mail opinion piece. The GP, who doesn’t provide NHS services, said GPs get ‘remarkable privileges’, that their working hours are ‘generous’, that they are ‘too arrogant’, and no longer work ‘late in the evening’. This might be true for GPs who – like him – work in plush private surgeries. But it is not clear why he is speaking on behalf of NHS GPs who regularly work 13-hour days. Did we mention he was a private GP? 

The Matt Hancock award for best Matt Hancockism

WINNER: Matt Hancock

The state of general practice might make you pine for Matt Hancock. Until you remember Matt Hancock. And he hasn’t let us forget him. After I’m a Celebrity in November 2022, he went on Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins this year – and was described as ‘quite annoying’ by his instructor. Then there was his TikTok video of I’m just Ken from the Barbie movie. In a perfect parallel to his career, this happened just as Babylon – championed as a model for GP services by Mr Hancock when health secretary – announced insolvency. Never change, Matt.