Potential candidates for RCGP Council have called for a new GP contract, greater autonomy for the profession and opposition to the Government’s health reforms in their mission statements published this week.
Seven of the 18 candidates mention the contract changes or extra workload pressures faced by GPs in their statements to be elected as one of the six national representatives on council.
This follows comments made by new RCGP chair-elect Dr Maureen Baker, who told Pulse that workload pressures were the main challenge facing the profession.
In a sign that the College will focus on GP workload in the coming year, RCGP Council candidate and GPC deputy chair Dr Richard Vautrey said: ‘I know that GPs are struggling to cope with an ever increasing workload and are worn down by constant organisational change.’
Surrey GP Dr Pete Deveson went even further, called for a new GP contract. He said in his statement: ‘I’d like to see a simplified, less intrusive GP contract with the patient returned to the centre of the healthcare debate’
Dr Simon Gregory, a GP in Northhampton, said in his statement: ‘We remain under threat. With the challenges of GP bashing, commissioning with financial ischaemia, revalidation, and trainees facing ever-increasing costs yet low prospective incomes.’
Other candidates include current RCGP revalidation lead Dr Nigel Sparrow, Professor Bill Irish, the vice-chair of COGPED and two Pulse bloggers: Dr Martin Brunet and Dr Margaret McCartney.
The other candidates are: Dr John Cosgrove, Dr Chandra Kanneganti, Dr Terry Kemple, Dr Una Coales, Dr Ben Riley, Dr Simon Gregory, Dr Alan Hassey, Dr Nigel Mathers, Dr Jonathon Tomlinson, Dr Jaspreet Grewal, Dr Stuart Sutton and Dr Dom Patterson.
