Health

GPs’ leader condemns ‘malicious criticism’ by politicians

GPs’ leader condemns ‘malicious criticism’ by politicians

The leader of Britain’s GPs has condemned politicians “malicious criticism” and “vilification” of family doctors amid a furious backlash from the profession at government demands for them to increase face-to-face appointments.

GPs’ leaders said a “blueprint” to improve general practice would do little to relieve the intense pressure on surgeries and would exacerbate the chronic shortage of family doctors by prompting more to quit.

Their criticism was echoed by the former Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said the government’s plan would fail and instead urged Sajid Javid to initiate a major recruitment drive to boost GP numbers.

It came as Javid, the health secretary, pulled out of a scheduled appearance at the Royal College of GPs’ annual conference in Liverpool at the last minute amid growing anger among family doctors at his failure to take the decisive action they were seeking to reduce workloads.

His non-appearance prompted claims that he was running scared of GPs. The health secretary opted to do a round of broadcast media appearances in London instead. He later visited a GP surgery in south-east London where he praised doctors for their “amazing work”.

Prof Martin Marshall, the college’s chair, vented GPs’ frustration in his speech at the event. He said GPs “unwittingly find ourselves at the centre of a public storm over face-to-face appointments”.

“The malicious criticism of the profession by certain sections of the media and some politicians as a result of the shift towards remote working – introduced to keep our patients safe and our teams safe and keep the service operating – has been the worst I can remember in over 30 years as a GP,” he said.

“This widespread vilification of hardworking GPs and our teams is unfair, demoralising and indefensible. No one working in general practice deserves this abuse.”

He did not name any politicians. However, in recent weeks Javid, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson have all made clear in blunt terms that they expect GPs to see more patients in person and return to pre-pandemic ways of working, despite the continuing threat from Covid-19.

Javid unveiled a new plan to give GPs in England an extra £250m – but only if they offered more in-person appointments as well as more consultations on the day the patient first calls.

Marshall also castigated the government’s intention to let patients rate the performance of their GPs using text messages, “based on their most recent experience of accessing support”.

“We are particularly concerned at plans to increase the scrutiny of hard-pressed practices and the introduction of an arbitrary text message service to rate the performance of particular GP practices,” he said. “There are already ways for patients to feed back on their experience. The introduction of more measures will further demoralise a profession that is already on its knees and demonise practices that are struggling.”

The British Medical Association (BMA), which negotiates GPs’ contracts with the government, criticised the government’s blueprint and Javid’s “preoccupation” with in-person appointments.

“These proposals will only confirm the profession’s belief that ministers and NHS England fail to understand the dire state of general practice – or that they, not hardworking GPs, are to blame,” said Dr Richard Vautrey, the chair of the BMA’s GP committee. “It’s truly frightening that we have a government so ignorant as to the needs of such a core part of the NHS.

“GPs across England will be truly horrified that this is being presented as a lifeline to general practice when in reality it could sink the ship altogether. There can be no doubt that this lack of action at such a critical time will force many GPs to hang up their stethoscopes and leave the profession for the last time.”

Hunt tweeted: “As someone who tried and failed to get 5,000 more GPs into the system, I don’t think this package will turn the tide.” He added that while in post he had expanded the number of young doctors choosing to train as GPs, the overall GP workforce continued to shrink because a larger number of older and more experienced family doctors retired or went part-time.

“This is a burnt-out workforce running on empty because of a massive mismatch between supply and demand. Sticking plaster after sticking plaster will no longer cut it,” he said.

He urged Javid to initiate a major recruitment drive to increase GP numbers, including incentives for retired GPs to return to clinical practice, an overhaul of pension rules that are prompting GPs and hospital doctors to retire earlier than planned, and moves to make it easier for family doctors in countries such as Canada and Australia to work in the UK.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, said the government’s plan to publish figures showing how many patients practices had seen face-to-face risked intensifying the trend towards early retirement.

“Sajid Javid’s plans to name and shame GPs risks driving even more doctors away from the profession. The government should focus on meeting their own target of hiring 6,000 more GPs, instead of attempting to shift the blame on to doctors for their own failings,” she said.

The health secretary said he and NHS England had spoken to the Royal College of GPs, the BMA and frontline GPs before unveiling the package of measures.

“What I’ve heard in that consultation is that you need more support, and rightly so; there’s a huge amount of demand on our fantastic GPs,” he said. “How we can help with that is providing the financial support, getting rid of some of this red tape and helping to shift some of that demand to other more sensible places.”

Health

WHO appoints Ihekweazu as ED Health Emergencies Programme

Nigerian epidemiologist, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu has been appointed as the Executive Director of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme. This appointment marks a significant milestone, placing a Nigerian at the helm of WHO’s largest department responsible for coordinating global responses to health emergencies.

Prior to this role, Ihekweazu served as WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems. He is also widely recognised for his transformative leadership as the founding Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), where he led the agency from 2016 to 2021, establishing it as one of Africa’s leading public health institutions.

In February 2025, Ihekweazu was appointed Acting Regional Director for WHO Africa, succeeding Dr. Matshidiso Moeti. His tenure during this transition period received commendations for his leadership until the nomination of Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi as the next Regional Director.

Ihekweazu’s appointment comes at a critical time as the world faces numerous health challenges, including emerging infectious diseases, the impacts of climate change, and strained health financing. His extensive background in public health and epidemiology is expected to bolster WHO’s capacity to respond effectively to global health emergencies.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare celebrated his appointment, describing it as a proud moment for Nigeria. Coordinating Minister Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate hailed Ihekweazu as ‘the right choice at the right time’, praising his bold and compassionate leadership as crucial for navigating the complexities of the global health landscape.

Ihekweazu succeeds Dr. Mike Ryan, who led the Health Emergencies Programme through critical events, including the COVID-19 pandemic. In his new role, Ihekweazu will oversee WHO’s preparedness, response, and mitigation efforts for global health emergencies, ensuring that the organization remains agile and effective in safeguarding public health.

His appointment is part of a broader leadership restructuring within WHO, aimed at enhancing its operational efficiency and responsiveness to global health challenges.

Ihekweazu’s career spans senior roles at the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the UK’s Health Protection Agency, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute. He holds a Master of Public Health from Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, and is an alumnus of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training.

His leadership is anticipated to bring renewed focus to strengthening health systems, improving surveillance, and fostering international collaboration to address current and emerging health threats.

Ihekweazu’s appointment not only underscores his exceptional contributions to global health but also highlights Africa’s growing influence in shaping international health policy and governance.

Health

Bayelsa records 98% immunisation coverage

Bayelsa has recorded a 98 per cent coverage in the first round of the 2025 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) programme conducted from the May 3 to May 6.

Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, deputy governor of the state, disclosed this during a meeting of the state’s taskforce on immunisation in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

He said that the government’s ultimate target was to achieve 100 per cent coverage in subsequent immunisation campaigns.

Ewhrudjakpo lauded the WHO, UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and other critical stakeholders for the feat achieved so far.

He, however, urged the partners not to rest on their oars as much still have to be done to achieve its target of 100 per cent immunization coverage.

He underscored the need for early preparations ahead of the second round of 2025 NIPDs scheduled for July.

The deputy governor assured the partners that funds for the programme would be released not later than two weeks to its commencement.

He directed all council chairmen to flag-off the second round of the 2025 NIPDs programme at any community other than their respective local government headquarters.

The deputy governor urged the chairmen to meet with the traditional rulers, school proprietors, and religious leaders in their areas to sensitise them on the importance of immunisation.

He also called parents, schools and churches to allow children to participate in the immunisation programme.

”The state government is serious about enforcing its public health law and executive order on compulsory immunisation.

“We have taken our immunisation coverage up to 98 per cent. But we want to take it to 100 per cent this time around, and that is why we have convened this meeting.

“We are also going to make an upward review of the logistics to reflect the present economic realities in the country,” he said.

Presentations by Dr Marcus Oluwadare of the WHO, and Dr Gbanaibulou Orukari, Director of Disease Control, Bayelsa State Primary Healthcare Board, revealed that area councils scored high percentage in the coverage.

They, however, identified poor workload rationalisation, data falsification and lack of commitment on the part of some personnel.

According to Oluwadare, we commend the Deputy Governor of the state for flagging off the NIPDs and chairing all the state ERMs in spite of his tight schedule.

“Bayelsa State was the only state to have full complements of her stakeholders in attendance during the April NIPDs in the whole of Nigeria,” he said.

Health

NCDC records 832 Lassa fever, Mpox cases, 135 deaths

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed the country has recorded 832 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and Mpox.

Speaking during a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, the agency’s Director General, Dr. Jide Idris, revealed that 132 fatalities were recorded from Lassa fever and three from Mpox.

While acknowledging a recent decline in Lassa fever infections during epidemiological week 16 (ending April 20, 2025), he warned that the overall risk remains high, particularly in endemic regions.

“Cumulatively, as of week 16, Nigeria has reported 4,253 suspected cases of Lassa fever, 696 confirmed cases, and 132 deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate of 19.0 percent,” he stated.

Dr. Idris attributed recent improvements to intensified surveillance, treatment efforts, and enhanced community engagement. He emphasized, however, the continued need for vigilance and collaboration to sustain progress.

Regarding Mpox, the NCDC boss disclosed that three deaths have been recorded in 2025—two in Abia and Ebonyi States in week 10, and one recently in Rivers State involving a patient co-infected with HIV and tuberculosis. As of week 16, 723 suspected cases and 136 laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox have been reported across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The national case fatality rate currently stands at 2.2 per cent.

“The epidemic curve reveals multiple peaks in Mpox cases, indicating ongoing transmission. While most states have reported suspected cases, confirmed infections are heavily concentrated in Nigeria’s southern and central regions,” Dr. Idris noted.

To address these outbreaks, the NCDC has activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), deployed National Rapid Response Teams to affected states, and prepositioned essential medical supplies, including personal protective equipment and laboratory consumables. Five additional Mpox diagnostic laboratories have also been optimized in Bauchi, Kano, Cross River, Rivers, and Enugu States.

“Healthcare workers are undergoing specialized training in infection prevention, case management, and cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) care. Community outreach is being reinforced through public awareness campaigns, media engagement, and targeted health communication strategies,” he added.

On cerebrospinal meningitis, Dr. Idris reported a consistent decline in new cases and fatalities over the last three weeks.

He attributed the improvement to effective vaccination, early treatment, and adaptive surveillance strategies tailored to real-time data.

“Although the situation remains serious, strong national and state-level coordination is showing positive results. The response will continue until full containment is achieved and states take full ownership of the CSM Incident Action Plan,” he said.

Dr. Idris also expressed concern about the rising Mpox trend since its reemergence in 2017, with significant spikes recorded between 2022 and 2024, positioning Nigeria among the most affected countries globally. He warned that underreporting and delayed data entry remain challenges that need urgent resolution to ensure accurate and timely outbreak response.

A national mortality review for the recent Mpox deaths is being planned to further assess response effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

The NCDC reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health through timely surveillance, transparent reporting, and coordinated national response mechanisms aimed at reducing disease burden and preventing future outbreaks.