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GPs urged to show ‘Churchillian spirit’

GPs should be more willing to dip into their own pockets to help protect patient care, the chair of the NHS Alliance has said. 

Dr Michael Dixon called for GPs to show ‘red-blooded passion’ and ‘Churchillian spirit’, giving the example of his own practice, where partners have self-funded a health facilitator to organise public health initiatives for the past few years.

He told Pulse: ‘I am not saying that this is what we should all do, that we should reduce our pay. But what I am saying is that there is a bit of give and take here and what really matters is that these things happen. I think we need to summon up that Herculean, Churchillian spirit that we had in prior years.’

Dr Dixon’s comments came as a new-look NHS Alliance was unveiled at the conference. It will focus on advising GP members wanting to take advantage of ‘the full effect of clinical commissioning’ by getting together across practice boundaries to deliver additional services as companies or social enterprises.

But GPC chair Dr Laurence Buckman said: ‘Spirit and passion do not pay the staff nor develop premises. They do not enable days to lengthen to 28 hours. Sadly, Churchill is dead.’