The 'moment of truth' arrives for GPs, as the profession decides whether to back the Red Book deal.
GPs were in open rebellion. Many threatened to quit the NHS altogether as rising workload and a failure to hold pay in line with other top professions left GPs disenchanted with the still relatively new health service.
But November 1965 was a turning point, as the profession voted by a strong majority to accept in principle a new agreement between the BMA and the Government.
The settlement, which was enforced the following year, came to be known as the 1966 Charter, or the Red Book. It introduced improved pay, allowances for seniority, staff salary cover and a premises improvement programme, and heralded what some believe to have been the golden years of general practice.
