This is a unique story. It is the story of a doctor and the many patients she sees every day. A tale of the diversity of life, the uniqueness of individuals and the impact of deprivation on the health of society. It is a book about being human, the challenge of being on the front line, trying to heal with kindness while fighting an inexorably rising tide of need. The crisis in general practice is in its ascendancy. Overworked GPs are burning out and leaving in droves. At the heart of the NHS, GPs are the entry point for healthcare in the UK, the champions of patients and guardians of the gates to specialists. A role that is essential, but not always understood or appreciated. We will all meet disease and death in our journey through life. We will all meet a GP, need a GP. The Heart of the Matter is the story of a single day in the life of a general practitioner working in the UK today.