Exclusive GP leaders will vote on escalating collective action in England, including ‘coordinated’ practice closures for an agreed period of time and ‘collective walkouts’.
At a special conference in London next week, LMC representatives from across England will vote on a motion calling on the BMA to ballot the profession ‘immediately’ on ‘escalating industrial action’, according to agenda documents seen by Pulse but not yet published by the BMA.
The action could include coordinated practice closures, coordinated closure of practice lists and a series of ‘collective walkout’ days, where practices would run ‘skeleton set-ups’, according to the motion.
LMC leaders will also vote on calling on the BMA’s GP committee to organise a ‘coordinated national day of protest’ by all GPs and their staff, which would include practice closures and mass demonstrations, as well as ‘marches and peaceful protests’ to promote general practice.
The conference will also vote on collecting undated resignations from GP contract holders to use as part of any industrial action recommended by the GPC, and on future industrial action to include ‘targeted efforts’ to ‘disband’ PCNs, with a demand to reallocate their resources directly into core funding.
It follows six months of GP collective action during which practices have been able to choose from a list of nine options recommended by the BMA, designed not to breach practice contracts.
Following the 2025/26 GP contract deal, collective action will now be aimed at ICBs rather than the Government, with GP leaders advising practices to continue at a local level.
Last year, GPC chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said that GP industrial action was unlikely to involve practices ‘shutting their doors’ to patients.
The BMA said it has taken legal advice on certain motions which presented ‘potential difficulties’, including practice closures as part of collective action.
The advice, published as part of the conference agenda, said: ‘If the BMA calls for practice closures, walkouts and arbitrary list closures, it will risk inducing GPs to breach their contracts, unlike the current options for collective action which do not induce GPs to breach their contracts.
‘The main legal issue with calling on GP contractors to breach their medical services contracts is that while the law provides some protection from dismissal to employees who participate in a lawfully organised strike, it provides no similar protection to contractors like GP contractors.
‘A GP contractor who breaches their contract while participating in industrial action, has no protection from the ICB exercising their rights under the contract to issue breach notices, remedial notices and ultimately terminate the contract.’
The conference agenda also demands that the Government decides whether practices are considered as either NHS entities or private businesses.
If considered as NHS entities, the Government should commit to full reimbursement of any increase to employer’s costs caused by the Autumn Budget, while if they are considered private businesses, restraints on trade, such as the prohibition of most private services to NHS registered patients, should be removed from the GMS contract.
It demands that GPCE should publish a schedule of minimum private tariffs for services, for ‘immediate implementation’ if it is established that GMS practices are private businesses and not considered to be NHS entities.
The special conference, taking place in London on 19 March, was organised after in November GP leaders determined it would be required ‘to discuss and determine’ what ‘escalatory steps’ will be needed to ensure the survival pf general practice, and to discuss the impact of the Autumn Budget changes.
The collective action motions in full
AGENDA COMMITTEE TO BE PROPOSED BY TOWER HAMLETS: That conference believes that the hour has come to escalate collective action in order to save general practice and calls upon GPCE to ballot the profession immediately to undertake escalating industrial action, including:
(i) coordinated practice closures for an agreed time period, with this time to be used to liaise with patients and other stakeholders, through meetings to communicate that general practice is in dire peril
(ii) all GP principals and partnerships to institute informal list management measures from a date selected by the GPCE
(iii) co-ordinated closure of practice lists across England
(iv) a series of “collective walkout” days, where practices run skeleton set-ups
(v) rolling half day practice closures across England.
LIVERPOOL: That conference calls upon GPCE to collect undated resignations from GP contract holders to use as part of any industrial action recommended by GPCE, to help ensure the survival of general practice in England.
AGENDA COMMITTEE TO BE PROPOSED BY HERTFORDSHIRE: That conference accepts the challenge and importance of remaining united as a profession in order to be a powerful force to enable change. It calls on GPCE to help GPs promote their work to the public by:
(i) coordinating organised marches and peaceful protests to promote general practice, raise awareness of GPs’ commitment to patient care and highlight the escalating pressures faced by GPs
(ii) organising a coordinated national day of protest by all GPs and their staff, including practice closures and mass demonstrations, to highlight the crisis in general practice
(iii) intensively engaging with local and national media, social media influencers, patient advocacy and charity groups.
Source: LMC Conference agenda papers
“coordinated national day of protest by all GPs and their staff……to highlight the crisis in general practice” – not a moment too soon. Good call Herts.
But the BMA’s flustering about “breach of contract” when a wrecking ball (or chainsaw) is headed for the NHS – surely they know that from their DHSC “negotiations”?
According to the Daily Fail, patients won’t notice any difference—after all, they can’t get an appointment anyway!