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Picking a fight with family doctors is usually a bad idea for ministers but some parts of media are on government’s side Talking to MPs recently, an effusive Sajid Javid lauded the vital role paid by “our fantastic GPs”. But his warm words are unlikely to have persuaded many of England’s family doctors that the new health secretary was softening his stance in an increasingly bitter dispute over his insistence on face-to-face appointments for any patient that asks.The row has led to the first clash between the government and medical profession since Javid’s predecessor Jeremy Hunt confronted junior doctors in 2015 over weekend working, which led to a year-long struggle including a series of strikes by trainee medics. Continue reading...