Emma speaks to Dr John Ribchester, a GP partner at Whitstable Medical Practice in Kent, a practice that is frequently cited as a leading example of the ‘neighbourhood NHS’ in action. The practice has spent years shifting services like diagnostics, day surgery, and urgent care out of hospital and into the community.

John explains the journey his practice took to develop this model, including the financial risks involved in building GP-owned premises capable of housing consultant clinics, diagnostics and an urgent treatment centre and why he believes working as a single-practice PCN has helped them to do this.

He also highlights some of the challenges the practice has faced along the way and the changes he thinks the government could introduce to make working in this way easier. And he offers some practical advice for GPs and primary care teams looking to create change from the ground up.

• As part of the MIMS Healthcare Network, GPonline has produced a new report for our subscribers on neighbourhood health - view the report here..

This episode was produced by Czarina Deen.

MIMS Learning Live

MIMS Learning Live South is returning to London on Friday 12 June 2026, and tickets are free to book.

This is your chance to boost your clinical know-how, connect with peers from across the UK, and gain fresh insights that can make a real difference in your patients’ lives. This year’s clinical programme covers issues including obesity management, paediatrics, women's health and cardiology.

We’re also running a GP Business hub stream aimed at GP partners, practice managers and PCN managers, which will cover practice finance, neighbourhood working, using AI in practice and how to meet the challenges of rising patient demand.

Get your tickets here www.mimslearninglive.com/south

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In our regular news review, the GPonline team talks about advice and guidance after NHS England was forced to clarify that there was no national target for diverting GP referrals.

They also look at some new guidance from the BMA on advice and guidance and whether GPs have been involved locally with the development of controversial single point of access systems that NHS England say will overhaul referrals.

They discuss the state of the GP partnership after a private company, Operose Health, approached GP partners with the offer to ‘liberate them’ from the pressure of running a practice. And there’s a brief look ahead to the UK LMCs conference, which starts on 13 May.

Our good news story this week is about a practice in North Yorkshire that has been saved from closure.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower, deputy editor Nick Bostock and senior reporter Kimberley Hackett. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

Can NHS England bring GPs on board with advice and guidance reforms?

NHS rules out 'national target' to cut GP referrals in advice and guidance update

BMA hails progress in talks with DHSC as GP collective action deadline nears

Private provider offers to 'liberate GP partners' from running NHS practices

GPs to debate quitting NHS amid warnings over 'Amazon-style' access

Practices rally round to stop village losing GP services

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Emma speaks to Professor Greg Irving, an academic GP and the national specialty lead for general practice at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

In this conversation, Greg discusses the essential role of research in general practice and how it is being embedded into the government’s 10-year plan as the NHS shifts focus from hospitals to the community.

He explains the various ways the NIHR supports and funds research in primary care, highlighting opportunities for practices to get involved—from light-touch studies to more complex commercial research.

Greg also addresses common concerns about the workload associated with research and highlights how it can improve quality of care, boost job satisfaction for the practice team, and help tackle health inequalities and offers practical advice for practices wanting to get involved.

And Emma and Greg also discuss the shift toward neighbourhood working and how general practice is uniquely placed to lead research into complex challenges like multiple long-term conditions.

This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.

Useful links

NIHR School for Primary Care Research

NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN)

Practices can access commercial study opportunities via the National Contract Value Review (NCVR)

Funding and infrastructure opportunities that are available, such as the NIHR Capital Infrastructure

NIHR primary care strategy and research programme

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