GPs vote in favour of new contract
A majority of GPs have backed a proposed new NHS contract.
A conclusive 79.4 per cent of general practitioners voted in favour of the General Medical Services contract, which is designed to tackle the growing recruitment and retentions crisis in the NHS.
Unveiled in February this year, the new deal for family doctors offers an average pay rise of 26 per cent over three years and the ability to opt out of out-of-hours work and certain services such as immunisation clinics and contraception.
The contract gives greater responsibility for treating patients to practice nurses and health workers, in order to free up GPs’ time to see the sickest patients first. The average GPs annual earnings should go up to £80,000 a year under the proposed contract.
However, many GPs have complained that the funding formula for the contract means that they would, in fact, be worse off financially. The British Medical Association has overseen changes to the contract to make it more acceptable to members.
The result of the ballot will be a relief to ministers who could have faced a crisis in general practice had the contract been rejected.
Consultants are moving swiftly towards industrial action at the government’s refusal to re-open negotiations with them over their new contract.
Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA’s GPs committee, welcomed the ballot saying: ‘This signals a new era for general practice. The profession has given a clear mandate for change.’
New Health Secretary John Reid commented on the result stating: ‘Patients, doctors and the wider NHS will benefit from these reforms.
‘This is a very positive development and a big step forward in modernising the NHS.’
The contract pledges millions more in government money for general practices, with spending set to rise by 33 per cent over three years to £8 billion. The changes to GPs’ working practices will come into effect next April.
