My colleague Dr Diana Lowry considers herself a lone voice in the wilderness in eschewing commissioning and wishing to concentrate on being a doctor to her patients.
(Whatever happened to the NHS' halycon days)
I am sure she is not alone in this sentiment, but GPs who wish to follow that path should remember that our contract with society is based not only on being the patient's advocate but also on acting as a gatekeeper to the health service, which although free at the point of access does have a monetary cost borne by the taxpayer. Striving to balance the budget of the local health economy is integral to the role of being a GP.
Commissioning is fraught with political, ethical and moral dilemmas, but it might offer us an opportunity to have a say in how our money is being spent.
Dr Kamal Bishai
Epping Forest, north-east London
Chair of Epping Forest PBC group
