English GPs take strike action over 1.9% budget increase
GPs in England are to strike for the first time in 60 years over a funding dispute, with experts warning the move could have catastrophic consequences for the entire health system.
In a vote by the British Medical Association (BMA), GPs voted in favour of industrial action in protest at the previous government’s budget increase of just 1.9% this year.
The disruption is likely to begin immediately and could last for months.
According to the Guardian, GPs can choose which form of strike action they want to take from a selection drawn up by the BMA, in a move that could paralyse the NHS.
One option is to limit the number of patients GPs see per day to 25. They could choose to stop doing work for which they are not formally contracted, and they could ignore the constraints of ‘rationing’ by ‘prescribing what is in the best interests of the patient’.
The development has caused a huge headache for Health Minister Wes Streeting, just three days after he resolved a long-running dispute over salary payments with junior doctors.
Young doctor leaders in England agreed a new pay deal with the government on Monday that could see their wages rise by 22.3% over the next two years.
The last time GPs took ‘collective action’ was in 1964, when GPs collectively submitted their undated resignations to the Wilson government. This led to changes including the Family Doctor Charter of 1965.
The BMA has said the new GP contract, which will see funding for services increase by 1.9% in 2024-25, means many practices will struggle to remain financially viable. Patient groups have said strikes would be “selfish” and warned that GPs risk harming those who need care and losing public support.
GP bosses say they are targeting NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care – not patients. But Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, has warned that strikes by GPs could have a “catastrophic” impact on A&E departments, the 111 telephone advice service and mental health services.