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RCGP hits back at claim that GPs are ‘overpaid’ and ‘whingeing’

The RCGP has hit back over claims that the ‘Put patients first: back general practice’ campaign for fair funding for general practice amounts to ‘overpaid GPs whingeing’.  

In a letter to The Times, which wasn’t published,  RCGP chair Dr Maureen Baker and Dr Patricia Wilkie, president and chair of the National Association for Patient Participation, have said Times columnist Dr Alice Thompson’s central assumption is ‘completely wrong’.

Dr Baker says that GPs ‘are not asking for higher pay’ but instead asking for a greater proportion of NHS funding to recruit more nurses and GPs to cope with growing workload demands.

Dr Baker says: ‘In her article, Ms Thomson quite rightfully says that GPs want an awful lot more money for general practice – billions in fact. She is also right to say that family doctors already receive a good wage.’

‘However, she is completely wrong in the central assumption behind her attack that the purpose of our campaign for more resources is in any way to increase the pay for family doctors.’

‘We are not asking for higher GP pay. We are, however, asking for an increase in the proportion of NHS funding for general practice so that more GPs and practice nurses can be employed.’