General practice in UK newspapers: the influence of major policy changes

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We read with interest the findings of Barry and Greenhalgh indicating the continuing negative portrayal of GPs in UK newspapers.¹ The authors highlight that general practice is seen as a service in crisis, with low morale and high burnout, and that GPs are portrayed as being responsible for the crisis and resulting negative impacts on patient care.

Our previous studies suggested that UK newspaper coverage of general practice became unfavourable following the introduction of the new General Medical Services contract in 2004.² Previous recognition of demanding working conditions and relatively poor rewards in general practice transformed into a predominantly negative portrayal, with concerns about unfairly excessive income and poor use of public money. The introduction of the Health and Social Care Bill in 2011³ continued this trend, with signs of eroding trust in GPs. Public perceptions of how GPs are paid will continue to damage public trust if the drive to meet pay-for-performance targets is perceived as undermining patient-centred care.

Persistent negative media coverage may also hinder GP recruitment and retention. We advise that media stories written by doctors may mitigate this unfavourable trend. We suggest that GPs should actively engage with the media to broaden the debate from costs and capacity alone to quality and equity of care.