Thousands of Family Doctors in England Launch Large-Scale Industrial Action, Raising Alarm Over Potential Impact on Patient Care

In a move that’s set to shake up the NHS, General Practitioners (GPs) across England have voted to launch significant industrial action starting today.

This decision comes as part of an effort to bring the NHS to a standstill, a move that experts warn could have a serious impact on patients.

Over 8,500 family doctors participated in the British Medical Association (BMA) ballot, and an overwhelming 98.3% supported the action. With this level of backing, the potential is high for GPs to reduce daily appointments in England by up to a third.

Some doctors have even suggested that this action could persist for months.

Here’s what you need to know about how this will affect your GP visits and the broader NHS.

GPs are now considering up to 10 different forms of protest, including limiting daily patient interactions. This cap could apply to face-to-face appointments, remote consultations, and online communications.

The BMA and the European Union of General Practitioners recommend that GPs should not handle more than 25 appointments per day to ensure patient safety.

Once this cap is reached, additional patients may be redirected to urgent care services like 111 or local walk-in clinics. If GPs proceed with these plans, up to 3 million appointments per month could be impacted.

Forms of Protest

The BMA has outlined several forms of protest, which include:

– Capping daily patient appointments to 25, about a third less than usual.
– Ceasing use of the e-referral and guidance services.
– Withdrawing from voluntary services that address local commissioning gaps.
– Disabling NHS software that facilitates discounted or free prescriptions.
– Directly referring patients to specialists instead of following the standard NHS referral process.
– Refusing to share patient data unless it’s essential for patient care.
– Opting out of new data-sharing agreements or local systems.
– Delaying decisions on participating in NHS pilot programs.
– Disabling GP software that allows third-party coding.

Despite these measures, GP practices are still required to operate from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. NHS England is encouraging patients to seek care as usual, though some family doctors report feeling overwhelmed by patient demand.

Current daily GP appointments average around 37, but some doctors have been seeing nearly 90 patients a day, which many believe is unsafe.

The Rationale Behind the Action

The industrial action comes amid a heated dispute over GP funding and contract terms.

While average GP pay was reported at £118,100 in 2021/22, with GP partners earning around £153,400 annually, there is significant dissatisfaction with the new NHS contract.

The BMA argues that the proposed 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25 will leave many GP surgeries struggling financially.

Additionally, GPs have faced increased levels of harassment and abuse, further fueling their frustration.

Historical Context of GP Action

The last major collective action by GPs occurred in 1964 when they resigned en masse under Harold Wilson’s Labour government. In 2012, a portion of GPs engaged in industrial action over pension contributions and retirement age changes.

However, the current situation is different, with many practices uncertain about their participation in this latest round of protests.

Government’s Response

In response to the ballot result, Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized the action, suggesting it would primarily hurt patients.

The government has announced an expansion of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) to hire more doctors and added £82 million to this fund as an emergency measure.

This scheme aims to help practices recruit newly-qualified GPs. Additionally, the government has pledged a 6% pay increase for GPs, though some argue this does not adequately address the issues at hand.

Patient Satisfaction and Appointment Accessibility

Patient satisfaction with GPs has reached its lowest point in decades, according to the 2023 GP Patient Survey.

With only 71.3% of patients describing their experience as good, and significant challenges in getting through to practices by phone, the pressure on GP services is clear. The number of daily GP appointments has risen to over 950,000, yet the number of GPs has not kept pace with demand.

Despite an increase in NHS consultants, the number of GPs has only grown by 4% from 2016 to 2022.

The Future of GP Services

With an anticipated increase in the UK population, the need for more GPs is evident. By 2036, to maintain the current patient-to-GP ratio, an additional 7,000 doctors would be required.

As the situation evolves, both the government and the BMA will need to address these challenges to ensure that the NHS can continue to provide effective care.

TDPel Media

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