Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
GP surgeries across England will cap the number of patients they see per day as family doctors stage industrial action in a protest over government funding.
Members of the British Medical Association voted in favour of taking action on Thursday, with more than 8,500 GPs balloted.
“More than 8,500 GPs in England took part in the ballot and 98.3 per cent voted in favour of taking part in one or more examples of collective action,” the BMA said.
NHS England has warned the move will cause significant disruption across the health service as patients switch to other services such as walk-in centres.
Under the “collective action”, GPs could choose to limit the number of daily patients seen to 25, a potential cut of almost 40 per cent on peak times. Surgeries could also limit the tests they carry out for hospitals.
Settling public sector pay disputes is one of the major challenges facing the new Labour government.
Junior doctors, who have carried out 11 strikes in the past two years, are to vote on a proposed 22.3 per cent pay rise, after union leaders agreed to the latest offer from health secretary Wes Streeting.
GP services in England have been awarded a 1.9 per cent funding increase for 2024-25 under the latest government contract.
The BMA has argued this is not enough to alleviate the crisis in general practice, which is struggling under the weight of overwhelming demand from a growing and ageing population.
In a letter to health leaders last month, NHS England warned industrial action could have a knock on impact on other services and increase waiting times in A&E and hospital referrals.
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the BMA’s England General Practitioners Committee, said: “We had a huge response to this ballot, and the results are clear — GPs are at the end of their tether. This is an act of desperation.
“For too long, we’ve been unable to provide the care we want to. We are witnessing general practice being broken. The era of the family doctor has been wiped out by recent consecutive governments and our patients are suffering as a result.”
The department for health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “GPs and their teams are the bedrock of the NHS, and we recognise they are working really hard and dealing with record demand. On behalf of patients, the NHS has a duty to plan for collective action, and we will continue to work with government to find a resolution and end collective action.
“Our message to the public remains the same — they should continue to come forward for care during this collective action, as GP practices will remain open.”