Government approach could force GPs to follow dentistry model, BMA GP deputy warns
The Government’s stance towards general practice could force the profession to follow the dentistry model, the deputy chair of the BMA’s GP committee in England has warned.
Dr David Wrigley, who is due to speak at a conference organised by Keep Our NHS Public tomorrow, said GPs must now campaign against this happening.
As exclusively revealed by Pulse, instead of GP contract negotiations with the BMA’s GP committee, the Government will ‘consult’ it alongside a wider group of stakeholders, including the RCGP and patient groups.
Dr Wrigley said: ‘NHS general practice is on a knife edge. Decades of underfunding and a government now attacking the doctors trade union puts us in a critical situation.
‘It’s entirely possible you will see your local GP becoming more like the dentistry model with good access and care only for those with enough cash to pay for it. We have to campaign to stop this happening.’
Earlier this week, Dr Wrigley accused the Government of trying to ‘sideline’ the BMA as a trade union by overhauling the contract negotiation process.
Meanwhile, GPC England have demanded an urgent discussion with the Government to ‘reset’ their relationship. Two emergency motions were debated at their meeting yesterday – one expressing ‘deep concern at the level of animosity’ between the Government and the committee, and one discussing the future of the current dispute.
GPCE voted in favour of calling on the Government to meet with it ‘urgently’ to discuss ‘terms of a reset in the relationship’, so that ‘further escalation can be avoided’.
However, the second motion concluded there was ‘no immediate prospect of a productive relationship with this Government’, nor of fulfilment of their ‘promise of a new GMS contract’, given their ‘unprecedented decision’ to no longer recognise GPCE as the sole negotiating body for GPs in England.
The committee voted in favour of advising the ‘immediate resumption of all previous collective actions’ by practices in England, but a part of the motion calling for an urgent ballot on industrial action was lost.
The Government and NHS England have currently cancelled all meetings with the committee, amid their dispute over online access changes, and a breakdown in their relationship.
And yesterday health secretary Wes Streeting attacked GPCE saying that his attempts at a ‘constructive relationship’ have failed due to a lack of ‘mutual respect and professionalism’.
At their meeting yesterday, the committee insisted that all letters and formal communications between the Government and GPCE, from both parties, be published to ‘enable full clarification of the current dispute’.
It comes after Pulse revealed that the GPC executive had been accused of ‘misleading’ the profession and keeping colleagues ‘in the dark’ during contract negotiations – after the Government produced written evidence the October changes were ‘agreed’.
In response to Mr Streeting’s attacks, the GPC voted in favour of reaffirming the committee’s commitment to ‘professionalism, honesty, and accountability’ in ‘all negotiations and communications’ with the Government and NHSE, and to the ‘avoidance of ad hominem criticism’.
The motions in full
Emergency motion 1
That this GPCE committee expresses deep concern at the level of animosity that has developed between this committee and the Government, and:
- Believes that the current, unprecedented deterioration in our relationship with the Government does not serve the interests of the profession; CARRIED
- Reaffirms this committee’s commitment to professionalism, honesty, and accountability in all negotiations and communications with the Government and NHSE, and to the avoidance of ad hominem criticism; CARRIED
- Acknowledges that the display of a ‘rogues’ gallery’ of key NHSE and DHSC staff during the recently livestreamed England LMC conference was not appropriate and helpful; LOST
- Insists that all letters and formal communications between the Government and GPCE, from both parties, be published to enable full clarification of the current dispute; CARRIED
- Calls on the Government to meet with GPCE urgently to discuss terms for a reset in the relationship, so that negotiations may continue constructively and further escalation can be avoided. CARRIED
Emergency motion 2
That GPCE, in light of the recent cessation of meetings by Government and their unprecedented decision to de facto no longer recognise GPCE as the sole negotiating body for GPs in England:
- Concludes that there is no immediate prospect of a productive relationship with this Government, nor of fulfilment of their promise of a new GMS contract CARRIED
- Asserts that a contract ceases to be a true contract when the contractor has no right to negotiate and ergo believes these actions demonstrate this Government’s clear agenda to end the Independent Contractor model CARRIED
- Approves and advises the immediate resumption of all previous Collective Actions by practices in England CARRIED
- Instructs the officer team to escalate action against this Government by way of urgently enacting all resolutions of the 2025 Special and Annual Conferences of England LMCs CARRIED
- Instructs the GPCE chair to immediately present to UK Council a plan for ballot for Industrial Action so that this may be formally begun at the next UK Council meeting in January LOST
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What’s inherently wrong about doing a dentist? The Government and the public would be delighted if GPs worked for free. Let’s get some self-respect and act like professionals. That is be paid commensurate to our hard earned skills and training. If socialised medicine has failed, this is not the fault of GPs, and we are not here to save the NHS. Most other countries have insurance based healthcare and have far better outcomes than UK. Time for a major reset I think.
I say go dentist model. if part of primary care is private the government won’t be able to enforce a single patient record that the tech bosses want. Should think it’s the single most likely thing to negotiate with. For sure dentist model. PCNs should be well set up to provide separate building now for private patients which is the only thing needed to operate this model under current contract conditions. I should think a lot of patients will be happy to pay more than £150 per year for their care. They pay more for their vehicle and their pet care. I say crack on. One building per PCN for private appts. My sister hasn’t been able to get an appt since the contract change with online access; Before she always said her surgery was amazing. She’s booking 2 weekly online consults at £70 per 7 minute consult and once meds titrated up can put it back on nhs. Surely there is a way to wriggle the income round as we are. Tell you what the government will roll in a moment because it will disrupt the full population data set
Ballot for industrial action was lost! so fight but without the tools to do it. Great work again BMA. Bravo. Looks like we are certainly prepared to win this battle.
Maybe lose this battle but ultimately win the war (eg become semi-privatised)
Other Countries seem to do healthcare better; perhaps look and learn?
Suggest start with Taiwan and Australia.
The dental model…that wonderful patient centred vision of amazing care for those that need it most at a fraction of the cost of primary care… really…it costs £150 a month to get any level of dental care and since 1970’s ( ‘drilling for gold’) dentists have progressively used their patients to make money and not treated on clinical need. So every doctor who raises this, including the BMA are asking to privatise the NHS. Do you really think the public will support you?
Do our colleagues think that the current model of NHS is sustainable & viable in the long term? Government wants us to deliver first class care at third class cost. Is NHS funding crisis our problem to solve? If Politicians don’t want to solve it then public has to ask the question to politicians, Its not our problem. Our job is to deliver best possible care in the money given to us. IF politicians want us to give more services or better service than what is being offered currently then they have to fund it appropriately. In the current model public also is not bothered about funding crisis because they don’t have to pay anything directly. So they will never support any model where they have to pay anything or contribute partially. last few years of unilateral contract imposition and changes to our contract term is simply unacceptable and cant see anyway out except going dentist way.