Action now to save General Practice

Doctors in Unite (DiU), formerly the Medical Practitioners Union (MPU) expressed dismay yesterday (August 31) over the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) decision not to hold a consultative ballot of GPs on industrial action, despite the move receiving overwhelming backing at May’s Local Medical Committee (LMC) conference.

The call to consult GPs on whether they would be prepared to take different forms of industrial action not in breach of their contracts comes as GPs become increasingly overwhelmed with their workload which in turn is hitting patient care.

More than 9 in 10 GPs say that their workload has negatively impacted on the quality of care given to patients, while at the same time Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) aimed at making swingeing ‘savings’ for the NHS are being drawn up.

Assurances given by NHS England to work on proposals in the GPC’s ‘Urgent Prescription for General Practice’, which prompted last week’s GPC decision not to hold a consultative ballot, have drawn a sceptical response from DiU.

“How can GPC leaders or anyone else think that GPs will get anything meaningful amidst the massive NHS cuts?” asked Dr Jackie Applebee, one of DiU’s two representatives on the GPC.

“The STPs aim to make swingeing ‘savings’ throughout England. There are explicit plans to close hospitals, cut bed numbers and ‘review’ the distribution of GP surgeries.”

Dr Applebee, who proposed the motion for a consultative ballot at the LMC conference, added, “Cuts to the NHS of this size are unprecedented. There is simply a shortage of funding brought about by our politicians. NHS England’s ‘GP Forward View’ has not delivered any practical help to surgeries, which are closing right now.

“Warm words from NHS England are not enough to stop the collapse of General Practice. We need emergency measures immediately and I cannot see this materialising in the world of STPs.

“The overwhelming vote in favour of a consultative ballot at the LMC conference shows the strength of feeling amongst LMC delegates from all over the country,” Dr Applebee went on to say.  “No one wants to take industrial action, but if not now when? How bad does it have to get? The vote showed that GPs have had enough of talking and want to be consulted on action.”

Dr Ron Singer, retiring president of DiU and former GP, commented, “DiU is confident that there are ways of taking industrial action which would not prompt a breach of contract.

“GPs are overwhelmed by their workload with more than nine in ten saying that their workload has negatively impacted on the quality of care given to patients,” he added.

“A basket of measures that GPs can choose from to try to reduce their workload, as suggested in the BMA document ‘Responsive, Safe and Sustainable: Our Urgent Prescription for General Practice’, is helpful but leaves the onus on individual practices. A single coordinated act, in the interests of patient safety would be much more effective”.

Dr Applebee will call on GPC at the very least to demand NHS England commits to a very tight, stated deadline, that will trigger a ballot if missed.