This is a poster that Helen Leach and I will be presenting at SAPC SW in Cardiff (March 24). It is a summary of the development of academic general practice within the UK and some of the major technological innovations in our field.

1. Academic General Practice Practice Technology
General Practice Teaching Unit (1948)
The Beveridge Report (1942)
The National Health Service (1948)
The NHS Prescription Charge (1949)
Penicillin mass produced (1940)
First double blind trial (1943)
Diphenhydramine (1943)
Aminoglycosides, (1944)
Nitrofurantoin (1945)
First RCT (1946)
Chloramphenicol (1947)
Tetracycline and Cephalosporins (1948)
College of General Practitioners’ Research Newsletter (1953)
Collings Report (1950)
RCGP Founded (1952)
Balint’s ‘The Doctor, His Patient and the Illness’ (1955)
Macrolides (Erythromycin), Trimethoprim (1952) Clindamycin
(1954)
Imipramine (1955)
Paracetamol (1956)
Nitro (octyl nitrate) inhaler(1956)
Metformin (1958)
Fusidic acid (1958)
Metronidazole (1959)
Dr Richard Scott becomes the first Professor of General Practice,
Edinburgh (1963)
Framingham Heart Study (1961)
Introduction of MRCGP (1965)
The Family Doctors Charter (1966)
Flouroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin), Diazepam (1963)
Furosemide (1964)
Propranolol (1965)
COCP (1967)
Ibuprofen (1969)
Salbutamol inhaler (1969)
Warfarin (1960)
First scientific meeting of the Association of University Teachers
of General Practice (1972)
Medical Research Council founds the General Practice Research
Network (1973)
RCGP Scientific Foundation Board founded (1976)
First GP to use a PC in consultation (1970)
Julian Tudor Hart - Inverse Care Law (1971)
The world's first paperless general practice (1975)
Vocational Training Act (1976)
Byrne and Long Model (1976)
Declaration of Alma Ata (1978)
Mupirocin (1971)
Cimetidine (1972)
Archie Cochrane's book Effectiveness and Efficiency (1972)
Nurses’ Health Study (1978)
Mental Health Act (1983)
Pendleton Model (1984)
Roger Neighbour’s ‘The Inner Consultation’ (1987)
Breast screening programme (1988)
Beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler (1982)
Fluoxetine (1986)
MMR (1988)
Simvastatin (1989)
Omeprazole (1989)
AUTGP becomes the Association of University Departments of
General Practice (1992)
Academy of UK Medical Royal Colleges officially recognises
systematic reviews as academically important research (1998)
Introduction of GP Fundholding (1991)
Good Medical Practice (1995)
Primary Care Act (1997)
NHS Direct (1998)
NICE Guidelines (1998)
Cambridge-Calgary Model (1998)
Quality in GP Consultations paper (1999)
Introduction of primary care groups (PCGs) (1999)
Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine (1990s)
Womens’ Health Initiative (1992)
Wakefield MMR Scandal (1998)
AUDGP becomes the Society for Academic Primary Care (2001)
NIHR Clinical Research Network introduced (2005)
School of Primary Care Research founded (2006)
The NHS Plan (2000)
Shipman Enquiry (2002)
The New GP Contract (2003)
QOF introduced (2004)
NICE recommend ACEi and ARB for hypertension (2004)
Ipratropium bromide inhaler (2004)
Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (2006)
QRISK 1 (2007)
Liraglutide (2009)
Introduction of Clinical Commissioning Griups (2013)
Introduction of ARRS scheme (2019)
DOACs (2010)
Dapagliflozin (2014)
NIHR Research Delivery Networks introduced (2024)
COVID-2019 (2020 onwards)
Introduction of Integrated Care Boards (2022)
Patient access to notes (2023)
Ozempic and Wegovy (2021)
Introduction. The 75th anniversary of the NHS is an opportunity to reflect on the history of General Practice. Medical schools and Postgraduate speciality training
scheme curriculums are struggling to cover the increasing bio-clinial knowledge. Humanities subjects are being squeezed, despite providing valuable context,
inspiration and alternative ways of thinking and developing as a clinician. The authors produced a timeline of significant developments in primary care evidence-
based medicine (EBM), that they propose could be used in future as a core-curriculum for medical students and trainees.
Methods. The authors conducted a search to identify major
changes in practice and technology deemed significant for
patient care or delivery of primary care in the UK. Consensus was
reached for inclusion.
Results. The timeline displays the narrative towards
modern-day primary care and demonstrate the complex broad
base that surrounds daily practice.
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The Art and the Science of UK General Practice:
A historical review and timeline
Dr Jake Matthews, Dr Helen Leach
Full References
@JakeMat91