UK

GPs told ‘don’t punish patients’ as ballot result looms

The last time GPs took collective action was in 1964.

The BMA met with the Health Secretary in July
The BMA met with the Health Secretary in July (Danny Lawson/PA)
By George Lithgow, PA

The Health Secretary has urged GPs not to punish patients – with the result of a ballot on industrial action expected imminently.

Collective action by family doctors across England could begin on Thursday after the result and could last for “months”.

GPs will be able to pick and choose from a menu of actions set out by the British Medical Association (BMA), according to the GP magazine Pulse, and could bring the NHS to a “standstill”.

This disruption could potentially see GPs limit the number of patients they will see each day to 25. They may choose to stop performing work they are not formally contracted to do, and they could ignore “rationing” restrictions by “prescribing whatever is in the patient’s best interest”.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Wes Streeting said he could “understand why GPs wanted to punish the previous government”, but warned that “taking collective action will only punish patients”.

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Mr Streeting added that the previous government failed to recruit enough doctors, leaving GPs “overburdened”.

The last time GPs took collective action was in 1964 when family doctors collectively handed in undated resignations to the Wilson government.

This led to reform including the Family Doctor Charter of 1965.

The BMA has said the new GP contract, which will see services given a 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25, means many surgeries will struggle to stay financially viable.

GPs launched a formal dispute over the issue in April after a referendum carried out by the union found 99% of 19,000 GPs rejected the contract.

Some surgeries may have already deployed some of the measures set out by the union – such as dialling back on work which they perform, but are not contractually obliged to do.

The BMA met with the Health Secretary on July 18 and union leaders hope such talks will continue.

The news comes after the Department of Health and Social Care made a new pay offer to junior doctors in England – potentially bringing an end to months of strike action.

Junior doctor members of the BMA are now voting on whether or not to accept the deal, which is worth 22.3% on average over two years.