To: Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners

Subject: Collective Petition from UK Primary Care Professionals – Urgent Call to Action on the Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

Dear Professor Hawthorne,

We, the undersigned general practitioners, trainees, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and other primary care colleagues, write to you out of deep and urgent concern for the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

As primary care professionals, we are committed to the health and dignity of all people — across age, background, and circumstance. Many of us care for patients who are survivors of conflict, displacement, and trauma. We are deeply aware that health is inseparable from basic human rights, and when those rights are denied, the consequences are devastating.

Today, the people of Gaza face one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in recent memory. The blockade of food, water, and medical aid has pushed the civilian population to the brink. The World Health Organization and United Nations report that thousands of civilians are now at imminent risk of death from starvation. This is occurring in parallel with the destruction of healthcare infrastructure, the targeting of medical personnel, and the collapse of access to routine and emergency care.

These actions violate international humanitarian law, medical neutrality, and the foundational ethics of our profession. For those of us in primary care — who treat not only illness but social determinants, trauma, and recovery — this crisis resonates deeply.

We are aware that the RCGP may issue or has issued a statement in response to the crisis. While such acknowledgements are welcome, they must not substitute for the clear, urgent, and sustained leadership this moment demands. Anything short of a public condemnation of the deliberate obstruction of aid and destruction of healthcare, and a commitment to coordinated action, risks being seen as symbolic rather than substantive.

We are aware that other medical bodies, including the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, have issued statements of concern. While welcome, these statements have not yet reflected the full urgency of the situation, nor the collective leadership we believe is now required from UK health institutions.

In particular, recent responses have not:

Condemned the use of starvation through blockade as a weapon of war, or the targeted destruction of civilian health infrastructure;

• Referenced or endorsed UN Security Council Resolution 2728, adopted on 25 March 2024, which calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, the release of hostages, unimpeded humanitarian access, and protection for civilians and health workers.
• We believe the RCGP — as the voice of the largest body of doctors workforce in the UK — has a vital role to play in joining and leading a united professional response.

We respectfully call on the RCGP to:

• Publicly and unequivocally condemn the use of starvation, siege, and healthcare obstruction as violations of international law and human rights, and call for an immediate ceasefire.
• Publicly support and align with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728, including its calls for unrestricted aid access and the protection of civilians and medical infrastructure.
• Join or lead a coalition of UK Royal Colleges and professional bodies in coordinated advocacy and statements of principle.
• Support calls for legal accountability for those responsible for the obstruction of aid, targeting of health workers, and violations of humanitarian protections.
• Provide a platform for concerned RCGP members to engage in advocacy, education, and public health dialogue on the responsibilities of doctors in humanitarian crises.

This is a moment that demands professional solidarity, ethical leadership, and the full moral voice of the UK primary care community.

We stand ready to support the College in any effort to uphold these values and to advocate for the rights, health, and dignity of all those affected by this unfolding humanitarian disaster.

Sincerely,

 [The Undersigned]

 UK Primary Care Community

 May 2025