Representatives attending the annual conference of UK local medical committees (LMCs) next week will vote on the formation of a BMA GPC ‘subcommittee’ for GP partners.
A motion to be proposed by North Staffordshire LMC said that the GPC should ‘form a separate GP contract holders subcommittee to represent and discuss GP partnership contract issues’.
It also called on the BMA’s GPC to ‘take all necessary action to defend and promote the partnership model and independent contractor status of general practice in the UK’ and undertake ‘clear modelling of the impact of a fully employed GP service in all UK countries’.
It said: ‘[Conference] believes vertical integration is an existential threat to the independent contractor model and the role of the GP partner’.
This comes amid an ‘abject failure of governments to recognise the value of the independent contractor model for delivery of primary care’, it added.
GPs attending the conference will also discuss the issue as part of a themed debate on the proposed establishment of a ‘National Association of LMCs’.
A motion put forward for the debate by North Staffordshire LMC said that ‘any National Association of LMCs [must have] an independent partner voice to advocate for GP partnerships’.
It added that the ‘current form of national representation of GPs requires review’ and called on the GPDF to:
- ‘Review the record of the GPC in representing the GP partnership model in annual negotiations;
- ‘Evaluate how LMCs and GMS partnerships can best be represented at national level in the interests of sustaining the partnership model; and
- ‘Review the future funding of GPC by GPDF through LMC voluntary levy contributions.’
The GPDF collects money from LMCs to support GP interests, including via funding provided to the BMA to run the GPC and for organising LMC conferences.
Another motion put forward for the debate by Avon LMC added: ‘Conference believes that the GP committee of the BMA is not serving the partnership model of general practice and demands that a separate union is developed, through LMCs, to primarily represent GP partners.’
LMC representatives will also next week vote on policy to reduce core GP hours to 9am until 5pm across the UK.
The in-person UK LMCs Conference will take place in York on 10-11 May.
Motions in full
AGENDA COMMITTEE TO BE PROPOSED BY NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE: That conference believes that a “nationalised general practice service” is not in the best interest of patients or doctors and:
(i) believes there is an abject failure of governments to recognise the value of the independent contractor model for delivery of primary care
(ii) believes vertical integration is an existential threat to the independent contractor model and the role of the GP partner
(iii) calls for clear modelling of the impact of a fully employed GP service in all UK countries to be undertaken by GPC UK
(iv) calls on GPCs to take all necessary action to defend and promote the partnership model and independent contractor status of general practice in the UK
(v) instructs the GPC to form a separate GP contract holders subcommittee to represent and discuss GP partnership contract issues.
THEMED DEBATE – NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LMCs
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE: That conference believes the current form of national representation of GPs requires review, and calls on GPDF to:
(i) review the record of the GPC in representing the GP partnership model in annual negotiations
(ii) evaluate how LMCs and GMS partnerships can best be represented at national level in the interests of sustaining the partnership model
(iii) ensure any National Association of LMCs has an independent partner voice to advocate for GP partnerships
(iv) review the future funding of GPC by GPDF through LMC voluntary levy contributions.
AVON: That conference believes that the GP committee of the BMA is not serving the partnership model of general practice and demands that a separate union is developed, through LMCs, to primarily represent GP partners.
Source: BMA
