There are concerns that the government may divert enhanced services funding away from general practices to fund new NHS neighbourhood teams. This would destabilise general practices financially; a sector of the NHS that has successfully contained costs and increased productivity.

Every minute of exercise makes a difference. Physical activity at any level brings health benefits. While the recommended amount is 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, even smaller amounts of exercise can have positive effects on your health.

Why is the GMC using the money it receives from doctors to pay for expensive dinners with politicians? The core function of the GMC is to maintain a database of doctors who are licensed to practice medicine in the UK. Spend our money on that, not on superfluous extras.

One point I teach my medical students is that the impact of a serious illness is not just on the patient. The illness can also have a major impact on the mental health of other family members; sometimes leading to significant psychological distress and reduced quality of life.

Despite the recent government rhetoric about the importance of NHS primary care, the bulk of NHS investments announced in the budget were for specialist and diagnostic services. General practices may end up worse off because of this and the increase in employer NI contributions.

“General Practices have the best financial discipline in the health service as they cannot run up large deficits in the belief that they will be bailed out.” This comment in the Darzi Report illustrates one of the key facts about NHS general practice; that it keeps within budget.

To the public, it is paradoxical that they struggle to get an appointment with a GP whilst at the same time many GPs cannot find jobs. One key cause of this is that general practices - unlike NHS hospitals - cannot have a financial deficit and must operate within their budget.