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GP leaders reject ‘non-cooperation’ with health reforms

GP leaders have voted down a proposal of ‘non-cooperation' with the reforms but say they are the ‘greatest threat to the NHS since its inception'.

Today's annual LMC conference in London also rejected calls for a ballot of all GPs in England asking if they were happy to be part of a consortia.

GPC chair, Dr Laurence Buckman demanded more than a ‘respray job' on the health bill but called for delegates to reject a motion urging GPs not to cooperate with the changes.

‘Non cooperation at this stage, in the middle of a listening exercise, would seem to make our situation worse. That's not to say this might not be our situation after the results of the bill going through parliament. At this moment I don't think this is a position we could accept because we really don't know.'

The report on the Government's listening exercise from former RCGP chair, Dr Steve Field, will be released on Monday.

There is speculation the DH could issue its response to the report as soon as the next day. A DH spokesman confirmed the listening exercise report would be released on Monday but said nothing had been decided yet on the timing of its response to it.

Earlier this week, prime minister, David Cameron, dramatically removed the 2013 deadline for GP consortia to take over from PCTs saying instead this would only happen when GPs were ‘good and ready'. The PM also promised ‘real changes' to the bill.

Dr Laurence Buckman