Government starts talks on central control of GP recruitment

By Steve Nowottny

The GPC has opened discussions with the Department of Health over a controversial plan to tackle the GP jobs crisis by bringing back Government control of where GPs can set up or expand their practices.

GPC chair Dr Laurence Buckman said negotiators were lobbying the Department of Health over the idea, and that civil servants had expressed interest in holding talks.

Under the proposals, first revealed in Pulse in February, a national body would oversee distribution of GPs, along the lines of the Medical Practices Committee, which was abolished in 2004.

Senior figures at the GPC and RCGP have both backed the plan, which they believe would help address the desperate shortage of partnerships.

In a Youtube address to BMA members (below), Dr Buckman said: ‘It's not good for the profession not to grow the next generation. What we have to do is find a way of encouraging practices to take them on, preferably as partners but at least as salaried, permanent employees.'

‘I'm trying to persuade the Government to start looking at regulating where doctors can set up practice or can grow their practices, so we can start encouraging practices to take on more doctors through other contractual means.'

‘That's going to take a while, but I believe we can get there too, because the Government is certainly interested in talking to us about it.'

Dr Buckman also answered questions from GP members on the impact of the prevalence changes and the future of the MPIG.