Good general practitioners will continue to be essential.

The article presents the author's views on the future of primary care in Great Britain. The author reviews how a proposed new white paper on health and community services in England is expected to affect public, patients, and health professionals. The concept of patients' values and the role of general practitioners in reducing health inequalities are analyzed. It is the author's view that Great Britain's health system should aim to be patient centred, safe, accountable and of consistently high quality.