Junior doctors may be going back to work – but GPs are stopping
Junior doctors may be going back to work – but GPs are stopping; they have just voted overwhelmingly for work-to-rule action in a row over government underfunding.
From the BBC’s article, it seems English local doctors aren’t fighting for more pay, but for enough funds for their practices to be able to provide the care and treatments that their patients actually need.
It strikes This Writer as an indictment against the former – Tory – government, and as further proof that Rishi Sunak and his cronies were starving the NHS in England, in order to make services fail so that patients would turn to private companies instead.
They would then be able to falsely claim that total privatisation was the answer to the crisis that they caused.
All I can say is, I’m glad to be living in Wales – where the Tories have long claimed the service is much worse than in England but where GPs aren’t striking. I’m aware that these may become famous last words.
The industrial action will be held by GPs who are members of the British Medical Association – so only one-third of English GPs are involved. It follows a ballot in which 98 per cent of participants supported the work-to-rule – but only 68 per cent of BMA GPs took part.
It’s still enough. Even after Tory rule changes, it shows that more than half the BMA’s members wanted this action.
It is a work-to-rule and not a strike; This Writer’s impression is that the strategy is to show the new, Labour, government what more than a decade of Tory funding cuts means.
So participating doctors will be able to limit the number of appointments they accept to 25 per day – rather than the 40 that some are currently having to handle.
GPs could also refuse to carry out tests and assessments for hospitals pre or post-treatment, and could ignore guidelines on rationing treatments that are put in place to allow the NHS to prioritise the most in-need patients. The BMA believes none of these actions will put GPs in breach of their contract.
NHS England has been busy scaremongering, warning of increasing pressure and waits in A&E, slowing down the discharge of patients to hospital, and disrupting referrals into hospital for planned treatments, like hip and knee operations. It said “maintaining services for patients with urgent needs, such as deteriorating conditions” was key.
From This Writer’s point of view, NHS leaders should be co-operating with GPs. Doctors don’t restrict their services lightly because there is always a risk that some patients may suffer a drop in the quality of the care they get; therefore their grievances should be taken seriously and any discussions with them should be about how the situation can be resolved.
Fortunately, we have a government that has said it is committed to resolving crises in the National Health Service and that has already moved to end strike action by junior doctors with a large pay rise.
The question is whether Wes Streeting has money set aside to ease the pressure on your local GP practice.
If not, what will he do?
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I doubt that my local GP practice will be effected. 7 part time GPs and 4 locums.