PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Gilly Mroz AU - Chrysanthi Papoutsi AU - Trisha Greenhalgh TI - UK newspapers ‘on the warpath’: media analysis of general practice remote consulting in 2021 AID - 10.3399/BJGP.2022.0258 DP - 2022 Dec 01 TA - British Journal of General Practice PG - e907--e915 VI - 72 IP - 725 4099 - http://bjgp.org/content/72/725/e907.short 4100 - http://bjgp.org/content/72/725/e907.full SO - Br J Gen Pract2022 Dec 01; 72 AB - Background Following a large-scale, pandemic-driven shift to remote consulting in UK general practice in 2020, 2021 saw a partial return to in-person consultations. This occurred in the context of extreme workload pressures because of backlogs, staff shortages, and task shifting.Aim To study media depictions of remote consultations in UK general practice at a time of system stress.Design and setting Thematic analysis of national newspaper articles about remote GP consultations from two time periods: 13–26 May 2021, following an NHS England letter, and 14–27 October 2021, following a government-backed directive, both stipulating a return to in-person consulting.Method Articles were identified through, and retrieved from, LexisNexis. A coding system of themes and narrative devices was developed iteratively to inform data analysis.Results In total, 25 articles reported on the letter and 75 on the directive. Newspaper coverage of remote consulting was strikingly negative. The right-leaning press in particular praised the return to in-person consultations, depicting remote care as creating access barriers and compromising safety. Two newspapers led national campaigns pressuring the government to require GPs to offer in-person consultations. GPs were quoted as reluctant to return to an ‘in-person by default’ service (as it would further pressurise a system already close to breaking point).Conclusion Remote consultations have become associated in the media with poor practice. Some newspapers were actively leading the ‘war’ on general practice rather than merely reporting on it. Proactive dialogue between practitioners and the media might help minimise polarisation and improve perceptions around general practice.