‘Don’t punish patients’, Health Secretary urges GPs as industrial action threatens to bring NHS ‘to standstill’

1 August 2024, 09:15

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

The Health Secretary has urged GPs not to strike as proposed industrial action threatens to bring the NHS to a standstill.

Industrial action by family doctors across England could start as soon as today with the result of a strike ballot expected imminently.

The industrial action, which could last for months, could include doctors halving the number of patients they see every day, forcing Brits to A&E instead.

Doctors may also choose to stop performing work they are not formally contracted to do, and they could ignore "rationing" restrictions by "prescribing whatever is in the patient's best interest".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Wes Streeting said he could "understand why GPs wanted to punish the previous government", but warned that "taking collective action will only punish patients".

Mr Streeting added that the previous government failed to recruit enough doctors, leaving GPs "overburdened".

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The last time GPs took collective action was in 1964 when family doctors collectively handed in undated resignations to the Wilson government.

This led to reform including the Family Doctor Charter of 1965.

Caller calls a 22.3% pay rise for junior doctors 'scandalous'

The BMA has said the new GP contract, which will see services given a 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25, means many surgeries will struggle to stay financially viable.

GPs launched a formal dispute over the issue in April after a referendum carried out by the union found 99% of 19,000 GPs rejected the contract.

Some surgeries may have already deployed some of the measures set out by the union - such as dialling back on work which they perform, but are not contractually obliged to do.

The BMA met with the Health Secretary on July 18 and union leaders hope such talks will continue.

The news comes after the Department of Health and Social Care made a new pay offer to junior doctors in England - potentially bringing an end to months of strike action.

Junior doctor members of the BMA are now voting on whether or not to accept the deal, which is worth 22.3% on average over two years.