Workers Revolutionary Party - GPs ‘stunned and angry’ at imposed contract changes

The News Line: News Wednesday, 24 October 2012 GPs ‘stunned and angry’ at imposed contract changes

On last Saturday’s TUC demonstration there was a great determination to defend the NHS. Picture shows a disabled campaigner who blocked the road at Marble Arch to show her anger at the way disabled people are being treated by the coalition

GPs are angry that the government intends to impose changes to their contracts.

There are huge implications in the Department of Health’s proposed imposed changes, the BMA doctors’ union warned yesterday.

Dr Laurence Buckman, Chair of the BMA’s GP committee, said: ‘The implications of the government’s new proposals for general practice are likely to be huge, and we will be examining the consequences of this threatened imposition so that we can fully inform the profession and public as soon as possible.

‘There are serious question marks over whether some of the intended changes are based on sound clinical evidence or are practical or feasible.

‘The government is being disingenuous in its presentation of how we have arrived at this point.

‘GPs will be stunned and angered that the government is disregarding five months of detailed negotiations between the BMA and NHS employers which was in its final stages just a couple of weeks ago.

‘The government must urgently rethink its approach and return to our negotiated settlement that was so close to being concluded.

‘The government’s own surveys show that patients consistently recognise their GP’s commitment to their patients.

‘Doctors have always been at the forefront of driving up standards and we do that by responding to sound evidence, not ill-considered quick fixes.

‘Many practices are already stretched to breaking point, which the government appears to be ignoring.

‘For all practices, the changes will place an enormous strain on GPs at a time when they are struggling under the weight of a wholesale NHS reorganisation, especially the implementation of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

‘Doctors recognise that we are in tough economic times and the BMA has been committed to achieving a negotiated settlement that delivers genuine improvements for patients while being realistic about what practices can deliver.’

• A pregnant woman in a wheelchair was subjected to the use of substantial force as she was tipped up, and then had her feet held as G4S staff forcibly removed her from the UK, it emerged yesterday.

Staff at Cedars centre near Gatwick also caused significant risk to her unborn baby, according to a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick.

Force was used against six out of the 39 families, including two children, at the centre, which holds families for up to a week, the report said.

Hardwick said it was ‘simply not acceptable to initiate force for such purposes.

‘We were very concerned to find that force had been used to effect the removal of a pregnant woman, using non-approved techniques.

‘There is no safe way to do this while protecting the unborn child.’