Funding row GPs in threat to cut number of patients they see
GPs could limit the number of appointments they carry out per day and stop work they are not required to complete in their dispute with the Government over contract changes.
The British Medical Association’s England GP Committee is launching a ballot on potential collective action after 99.2% of 19,000 GPs voted to reject the 2024/25 contract.
The union said the funding uplift for practices of 1.9%, or £179million, was “way below inflation” and would put more surgeries at risk of closure.
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of GPC England, said services had been “eroded to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds in recent years, with over a thousand practices lost”.
Improvements
She added: “We’ve been warning the Government for some time now that without drastic improvements to the GMS contract, GPs will be forced to consider taking action.
“Today should act as a wake-up call to government that GPs are ready to stand and fight to protect their practices and patients.
“Ministers can stop any further escalation, but until they sit down and take our concerns seriously, we have no choice but to urge members to vote ‘yes’ in this ballot and take action.”
The ballot will open on June 17 and close on July 29. If the majority vote in favour, action could begin immediately.
The BMA said it would not direct GPs to breach their contracts in the initial phase.
However, collective action could include limiting the number of daily appointments to the rec- ognised safe working level of 25.
Doctors may also refuse to carry out tasks such as complet- ing fit notes, prescriptions or investigations that should have taken place in hospital.
The ballot comes as junior doctors have re-entered talks with the Government in their longrunning pay dispute.
Yesterday, the BMA recommended that thousands of specialist, associate specialist and speciality doctors accept an improved offer.
It would see such doctors on open contracts receive pay increases of between 9.5% and 19.4% compared with 2022/23.
It includes a consolidated uplift of £1,400 to each pay point for SAS doctors on closed contracts, on top of the 6% hike awarded by the doctors’ and dentists’ review body in 2023/24.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the SAS offer was “clearly a good deal for doctors and for patients”.
She added: “I value the vital work of SAS doctors – who tend to focus on direct patient care and less on non-clinical duties – and am pleased following constructive negotiations that the BMA has decided to put a revised offer to members.”
The Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said of the GP dispute: “GPs are at the heart of communities and we hugely value their work.
“We listened to their feedback and the new contract will provide the biggest reduction of unnecessary bureaucracy in 20 years, while also giving them more autonomy to run local practices.
“It is disappointing the BMA GP Committee is taking steps towards collective action, instead of waiting for the outcome of this year’s review body on doctors’ and dentists’ remuneration.”