
Why more research should happen in general practice - and how to get involved
From Talking General Practice by GPonline.com
April 24, 2026 · 29 min · Season 6 · Episode 35
About this episode
Emma Bower interviews Professor Greg Irving about the importance of research in general practice and how practices can get involved.
Emma speaks to Professor Greg Irving, an academic GP and the national specialty lead for general practice at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In this conversation, Greg discusses the essential role of research in general practice and how it is being embedded into the government’s 10-year plan as the NHS shifts focus from hospitals to the community. He explains the various ways the NIHR supports and funds research in primary care, highlighting opportunities for practices to get involved—from light-touch studies to more complex commercial research. Greg also addresses common concerns about the workload associated with research and highlights how it can improve quality of care, boost job satisfaction for the practice team, and help tackle health inequalities and offers practical advice for practices wanting to get involved. And Emma and Greg also discuss the shift toward neighbourhood working and how general practice is uniquely placed to lead research into complex challenges like multiple long-term conditions. This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen. Useful links NIHR School for Primary Care Research…
People in this episode
Host: Emma Bower
Guest: Professor Greg Irving
Topics covered
- general practice research
- NHS community focus
- primary care involvement
- health inequalities
- neighbourhood working
- long-term conditions
Keywords
- general practice
- research
- NHS
- primary care
- healthcare
- job satisfaction
- health inequalities
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: National Institute for Health and Care Research, NIHR, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network, National Contract Value Review, NIHR Capital Infrastructure, NIHR primary care strategy and research programme
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