The fight against GP bureaucracy

General practice is being overwhelmed by bureaucracy. Every day, GPs are dealing with growing volumes of non-clinical work that takes time away from patient care and puts staff under unsustainable pressure.

GPs report handling 30 or more daily requests that sit outside clinical care. This includes form-filling, referrals, follow-up work passed on from elsewhere in the system, and administrative tasks with no additional capacity or funding attached. The result is less time with patients, higher levels of burnout, and increasing risk to patient safety. When GP time is consumed by bureaucracy, access suffers and continuity breaks down.

Our aim is to draw attention to the way in which the system in which GPs operate is creating unnecessary workload and diminishing their ability to provide high quality patient care. 

While we would encourage GPs to use real life examples that speak to this problem, everyone taking part in this activation should all be careful to maintain the confidentiality of those involved. GPs should also avoid giving the impression that they hold patients responsible for generating administrative tasks – instead, we want to shine a light on the processes, policies and system pressures that are adversely affecting doctors and patients alike. 

If you would like to name a particular institution (be it a department of a hospital or a public body) that you feel could usefully take action to reduce the bureaucratic burden on GPs in your area, please do so – and do tag them in your post! As long as we all maintain a respectful and collegiate tone, this will only help to turn visibility into accountability and improvement.

What we are doing

Rebuild General Practice is coordinating a X/Twitter campaign on Wednesday 11th February 2026 to make this issue visible. We encourage GPs across the country to share real examples of how bureaucracy is affecting their working day and their patients.

This is about collective visibility. One post can be ignored. Hundreds cannot.

The aim is to show clearly and publicly how administrative overload is crowding out patient care, and to push decision-makers to act.

How to take part

GPs, LMCs, and practices are invited to take part by posting on X/Twitter. You can use our suggested tweets and graphics, or share your own experience in your own words.

Below you will find:

• Pre-written tweet options

• Simple shareable graphics

• Suggested accounts to tag, including MPs, DHSC, and media

Please note, you must not share confidential information or identify patients. Focus on volume, impact, and what this means for care.

Shareable content

Please use any of the below content on X/Twitter and across social media.

Option 1
I spent hours today on forms, referrals and admin that had nothing to do with patient care. That is time taken away from appointments.

This is why access is broken. Cut GP bureaucracy. #RebuildGP

Option 2
GPs are not short of effort. We are short of time.

Every unnecessary task pushed into general practice means fewer appointments for patients. #RebuildGP

Option 3
I dealt with over 30 non-clinical requests today.

None of them made patients safer.

Bureaucracy is drowning general practice. #RebuildGP

Option 4
You cannot fix access while loading more admin onto GPs.

Take bureaucracy off our desks and put patients first. #RebuildGP

Option 5
Patients are frustrated. GPs are exhausted.

The common problem is bureaucracy stealing time from care.

This has to change. #RebuildGP

Option 6
GPs are the front door of the NHS.

Right now, that door is being blocked by paperwork, forms and system failures. #RebuildGP

Option 7
If policymakers truly want better access, start by cutting the work that should never have landed in general practice in the first place. #RebuildGP

Suggested accounts to tag

Government and NHS

·        @DHSCgovuk

·        @NHSEngland

·        @NHSuk

·        @10DowningStreet

Political figures and parties

·        @wesstreeting

·        @SKinnock

·        @UKLabour

·        @Conservatives

·        @reformparty_uk

·        @LibDems

·        @theSNP

·        @TheGreenParty

·        @CommonsHealth

·        Local MPs

Campaign

·        @RebuildGP

·        #RebuildGP

·        #TeamGP

Right-click any of the images below to copy - paste or save to your device.