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GP elected as BMA council deputy chair

Lancashire GP Dr David Wrigley has been elected as the BMA council deputy chair, the BMA has announced.

Dr Wrigley, who previously held the position in 2016, will take over from Belfast consultant Dr Sara Hedderwick who has been in the role for a year.

Known for being outspoken about privatisation in the NHS, Dr Wrigley is also the chair of Doctors in Unite where he has been vocal about the health secretary’s comments that a Babylon-style model should be rolled out nationally, and called on the Government to stop the expansion of Babylon’s GP at Hand.

Dr Wrigley, who was one of 20 GPs elected to the council as a member in April, told Pulse: ‘I’m obviously very pleased I’ve been elected by my colleagues on council to be the deputy chair. In that role I will be representing all doctors and medical students, not just GPs, as it’s a wide ranging role.’

He continued: ‘The main focus in the coming months will be around doctors terms and conditions, and how they have been really hit hard by the latest announcement from the Government.

‘Junior doctors and consultants are really angry that they have been given a six months pay freeze in effect, and although GPs have been given 2% from April, it’s woefully inadequate after years of underfunding.’