Ministers press GPs over surgery hours
pharmafile | February 8, 2008 | News story | |Â Â Â
Government and BMA relations have hit an all time low, with the doctor's association accusing ministers of undermining its position and cutting it out of negotiations on surgery opening hours.
Health secretary Alan Johnson dodged further talks with the body after it refused to agree plans to open practices on evenings and weekends, and wrote to directly to GPs instead.
The government is threatening to impose changes to hours if GPs reject the current offer, and doctors are expected to vote on the issue in a few weeks time.
The BMA has responded angrily to the move, and says what it calls government bullying could jeopardise UK general practice.
Dr Laurence Buckman, chair of the BMA GPs Committee, said: "We are being contacted all the time by GPs who are angry and upset about the bullying behaviour of the government and who fear that the government's plans will damage general practice in this country."
The Department made a priority of extending hours last year, calling for the average-sized practice to open an extra three hours a week, but the BMA have said longer hours would detract from the daytime services that frequent users rely on, like mothers, children and the elderly.
The proposal also fails to offer more funding to practices even though they are expected to open longer. Doctors have expressed concern that additional cost for nurses and administrative staff would cut into general resource for services.
The ongoing dispute has reached new a height, even though a poll from MORI showed 84% of patients were happy with current opening times already.
Recent media coverage on the new GP contract has focused on doctors now doing less work for more money, with the government pressing to recoup some of its extra spending on services with a return of GPs to out of hours care.
