GPs in the British Medical Association (BMA) in England are taking unprecedented industrial action in a fight for sufficient funding. The BMA explains that “General Practice is collapsing. Every practice across England is struggling to keep its doors open.” GP practices receive just £107.57 per year for each patient, whatever their health needs.
The Socialist Party argues that the ‘bigger slice’ of NHS funding for GP practices that the BMA demands should be achieved by increased funding for the whole of the NHS and an end to the privatisation that leaches billions from the health service every year.
A Rotherham GP reports
After an overwhelming 98.3% of general practice BMA members voting ‘yes’ to collective industrial action, Rotherham GPs have started to implement this into practice. We are united in this fight and are very confident that we have very strong bargaining power.
My practice has now begun limiting the number of patient contacts back to a safe level of 25 patients per GP a day. We will not be rationing referrals, investigations and admissions, and will refer anyone based on clinical need.
GP Connect (digital data sharing) has been switched off, and so the wholesale sharing and selling of patient personal data will no longer be permitted.
These are a few of the steps we are taking to highlight the value of general practice within the NHS and our aims to protect our patients rather than the system.
