Practices should cancel GP registrar clinics ahead of strikes, says BMA
GP registrar clinics at practices in England should be cancelled ahead of resident doctor strikes starting tomorrow, the BMA has said.
The union said that GP registrars ‘are resident doctors and are included in the strike’, meaning that registrars taking part in the strike will not see patients on days of industrial action, nor will they be performing administrative work.
The five-day walkout will start tomorrow at 7am and end at 7am on 22 December, after the BMA rejected the Government’s latest offer. The dispute concerns resident doctor pay, GP unemployment and a lack of specialty training places.
Similarly to previous strikes, GP registrars who are taking part in industrial action have been encouraged to join protests at their nearby hospitals as the BMA expects the majority of resident doctors on the selected days to demonstrate there.
Because of their supernumerary status, GP registrars are ‘not obliged to inform their practice’ of their personal intention to strike, the BMA added.
But registrars must ensure that any clinical results or responsibilities they currently hold are ‘appropriately handed over during their absence’.
The BMA said: ‘GP registrars are resident doctors and are included in the upcoming strike in England.
‘Practices should cancel GP registrar clinics in advance of strike days. The default position should be to assume registrars will be striking.’
However, there should be no changes to or cancellations of the educational elements of GP registrars’ rotas during any industrial action.
‘This is the position of GPC England, who are advising practices not to make any changes to the educational elements of GP registrars’ rotas, on days of planned action, due to industrial action,’ the union added.
Pulse has contacted NHS England for comment.
Last week, in a bid to stop the strikes, the Government offered to create 4,000 training posts over the next three years and proposed pushing through emergency legislation early next year that would ‘prioritise UK medical graduates’ for these specialty training roles.
However, the BMA’s resident doctors committee rejected the offer yesterday as it said it does not create new jobs nor promise pay restoration.
Commenting on the pre-Christmas strikes when they were first announced, NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey had called them ‘reckless’, ‘calculated’, and a risk to patient safety.
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READERS' COMMENTS [8]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
If practices have registrars who are striking I hope they remember to write to commissioners to suggest they increase their secondary care acute capacity and consider other routes to avoid putting strain on primary care during this time 😉
Dear Simon, please note that GP Registrars are supernumerary, and their absence from GP practices should have no adverse effect on workload or ability to manage patient needs.
If their absence does have an adverse effect, I would suggest that GPs have not correctly negotiated on the implications of having GP registrars in their own (GPs) Trainer Contracts.
Yes, yes, yes I’m well aware and of course we assume on any given day they might not be there and it doesn’t matter if they are there to see booked patients, follow up patients, or unbooked patients – their appointments are ephemeral and meaningless…
Whilst employment law might mean that they do not need to inform you if they are striking they are also in a training post and are being assessed thoughout as to whether they demonstrate professional behaviour commensurate with the requirements of MRCGP. My registrars in the striking period have all been made aware that I expect them to inform us of any absence (whatever the cause) at the earliest possible opportunity, and failure to do so will result in them being marked as Needs Further Development – Below expectations for Fitness to Practice and Working in teams at the end of their placement.
Matthew, what exactly is unprofessional about them exercising their legal right to strike?
Of course none of them are coming in. 72k a year for seeing a handful of patients each day and minimal admin.
Impact of them not coming in today has been minimal-in fact easier
Hi Hussam…absolutely nothing is unprofessional about them exercising their legal right to strike. But failing to inform the practice of a planned absence is unprofessional.
‘ But failing to inform the practice of a planned absence is unprofessional.’ Plus not taking into account the effect on patients who were already booked in, who will need cancellation and re-booking, is unprofessional , and impacts the poor receptionists who will need to deal with the fall out, if not given adequate time and notice. If they know they are going to be absent, then it is courteous to tell your colleagues that they will be absent so proper plans can be put in place in advance.
Then they can be free to fulfill their legal right to strike and good luck.