Starting today, GPs in England have decided to initiate significant industrial action, aiming to bring the NHS to a halt. This decision follows a vote by over 8,500 family doctors, with a staggering 98.3% in favor of the mass protest.
This move is expected to drastically reduce the number of daily appointments, potentially by a third, and could continue for several months. Experts warn that this will heavily impact patients.
How Will My Appointments Be Affected?
GPs will now be implementing up to ten different protest measures. These include limiting the number of daily patient contacts to 25, which encompasses face-to-face appointments, remote consultations, and online messages.
The British Medical Association (BMA) and the European Union of General Practitioners recommend this cap to ensure safe care. If the cap is reached, patients exceeding this number will be redirected to urgent care settings like 111 or walk-in clinics.
According to estimates, if family doctors follow through, up to 3 million GP appointments a month could be lost.
What Are the Specific Protest Measures?
Here’s a rundown of the ten protest measures endorsed by the BMA:
– Limiting daily patient appointments to 25, about a third less than usual.
– Ceasing engagement with the e-referral and guidance service used to seek advice from other clinicians.
– Withdrawing from voluntary services that help fill local commissioning gaps.
– Turning off NHS software that provides discounted or free prescriptions.
– Referring patients directly to specialists, bypassing NHS processes.
– Refusing to share patient data unless absolutely necessary.
– Revoking permissions for data-sharing agreements used for secondary purposes.
– Freezing sign-ups to new data-sharing agreements and platforms.
– Deferring decisions on NHS pilot programs.
– Disabling GP software that allows third-party coding into clinical records.
Despite these actions, GP practices will still operate from 8 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays during this collective action. NHS England urges patients to seek care as usual.
The primary driver behind this industrial action is dissatisfaction with the new GP funding contract. The BMA argues that the proposed 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25 will make it challenging for many practices to stay financially viable.
Furthermore, GPs have been facing rising harassment, assaults, and verbal abuse, which has added to their frustrations.
Dr. Katie Bramall-Stainer from the BMA’s GP committee emphasized that the action is directed at NHS England and the Department of Health, not at patients.
The BMA has stated that the measures will continue until a new GP contract is agreed upon.
Is This About Pay?
Partially. GPs have been voting due to disputes over the new funding contract.
NHS Digital data shows that average GP pay was £118,100 in 2021/22. GP partners, who own their practices, earned an average of £153,400 annually, while salaried GPs made around £68,000.
There are notable outliers, with some GPs earning over £700,000 by running multiple surgeries and providing extra treatments.
Why Are GP Services Struggling?
The number of daily GP appointments has increased to over 950,000, but the number of GPs has remained relatively stagnant.
Many doctors are reducing their hours or retiring early, leading to higher pressures on remaining staff.
The ratio of patients to GPs is above the recommended safe limit of 1,800, and projections indicate a need for an additional 7,000 GPs by 2036 to meet future demands.
Has There Been Similar Action Before?
The last collective action by GPs was in 1964, when they submitted undated resignations to the government.
In 2012, GPs staged industrial action over pension contributions and retirement age, with a significant portion of practices participating. The scale of participation in the current action remains unclear.
Government Response
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has criticized the action, suggesting it will only harm patients. In response, the government has expanded the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) to fund hiring 1,000 more doctors this year.
Additionally, a 6% pay increase for GPs has been announced, though some argue it does not adequately address funding issues.
Patient Satisfaction and Access Issues
Patient satisfaction with GPs has plummeted to its lowest level in 40 years. According to the 2023 GP Patient Survey, only 71.3% of patients reported a good experience with their GP practice.
Many patients are struggling to get through on the phone and are frustrated by the lack of face-to-face appointments.
This dissatisfaction has led some to seek private care or visit busy A&E units instead.
This situation highlights the ongoing challenges within the NHS and the urgent need for solutions that address both doctor and patient concerns.