Nearly 4,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Government to reverse cuts made to the general practice budget.
The petition, launched via Parliament.uk, has so far racked up 3,634 signatures – all calling on health secretary Jeremy Hunt to reverse cuts and commit to increasing GP recruitment.
Launched by Dr Lorna Elise Clarson, vice chair of North Staffordshire LMC, the petition accuses the Government of using ‘GPs as their political scapegoat for all NHS issues’.
The petition, which closes on 20 May, is targeting 10,000 signatures to receive a response from the Government, while 100,000 signatures would warrant the topic to be considered for debate in Parliament.
It comes as Mr Hunt pledged to end the ‘chronic underfunding’ of general practice and increase GP numbers in a New Year’s message outlining 2016 plans.
Last year, a Parliament.uk petition calling for Mr Hunt’s resignation attracted more than 220,000 signatures, but the resulting debate of MPs was held in Westminster Hall and focused not on the removal of the health secretary but on ‘contracts and conditions in the NHS’.
