Exclusive The leader of England’s GPs has defended the profession against the health secretary’s accusation that some practices are ‘coasting’ at the expense of others.
BMA GP committee chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said that the comments made by Wes Streeting in an interview with HSJ last week were ‘deeply hurtful, unhelpful, unfair and unwarranted’.
Mr Streeting was quoted by the magazine as saying ‘poor performing’ practices were ‘dragging down’ general practice, with some practices ‘not working as hard as they could’ and creating ‘unwarranted variation’ in GP services around the country.
He said: ‘I don’t expect that integrated care boards will be content to support those who are coasting at the expense of those who are striving hard to meet the needs of their patients. So I think there [will be] clear incentives for those who want to improve their performance.’
But in a letter to the health secretary, published today by Pulse, Dr Bramall-Stainer said that the comments have created ‘upset’ and ‘disappointment’ among the profession.
Dr Bramall-Stainer said: ‘I share their disappointment, but also frustration; this is a crucial time when we are negotiating in good faith with your department. Such timing is both unhelpful and poorly judged.’
The BMA’s GP committee is currently negotiating the terms of the 2025/26 GP contract, with talks expected to conclude this month ahead of a special LMC conference next month where GPs will vote on potentially stepping up collective action.
Dr Bramall-Stainer’s letter pointed to NHS Digital figures showing that fewer GPs are offering more appointments to an increasing population with ‘diminished’ resources, and explained that variation in GP services is due to systemic factors, including inadequate funding, staffing and premises.
She said: ‘In my professional experience, variation in GP services is more commonly observed in the face of exacerbating factors: premises that are unfit for purpose; funding formulae which are based on the 1998-2000 Census data; initiatives which adversely impact social equity and fragment continuity; or simply fewer GPs.
‘You and I have agreed that general practice is of critical importance to the NHS, and that it requires urgent support to restore sustainability, rebuild continuity and repair the “front door” to bring back the family doctor as the jewel in the NHS crown.
‘My sincere wish is to secure a substantive new GP contract within this Parliament that will accomplish this.
‘Such resultant efforts will need the support of the wider profession, and comments painting some colleagues as “coasting” is deeply hurtful, unhelpful, unfair and unwarranted.
‘I am concerned that any further such commentary will only add to the weight of angry correspondence I have received over the weekend.’
She added that a ‘swift’ retraction and clarification will be both ‘welcome’ and ‘necessary’ to give contract discussions the ‘greatest chance’ of success.
‘We stand ready to work with you to secure what our patients need from general practice, we are actively discussing solutions with your Department at the time of writing,’ the letter concluded.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We know GPs are working hard and have been neglected for many years, but we make no apology for wanting to ensure the best care is delivered across health service as we shift our focus out of hospitals and into the community.
‘We’re hiring 1,000 more GPs, proposing the biggest funding boost in years—an extra £889 million—and bringing in reform like cutting red tape so doctors can focus on treating patients.’
Pulse’s latest major investigation found clear evidence that deprivation and funding are contributing to the current recruitment and unemployment crisis that GP practices are facing.
Mr Streeting’s comments come as GPs remain in a trade dispute with the Government over GP terms and conditions.
The GPC’s demands to end collective action have included GP practice core funding to rise by at least £40 per patient for 2025/26, and for a new GP contract committing to a ‘minimum general practice investment standard’.
The Government must commit to a new GP contract to be implemented by April 2028 ‘at the latest’, with ‘sustained annual investment’ taking into account inflation, and uplifted year-on-year, according to the demands.
‘Coasting’ ? Hmmm, would that be the Directly Managed practices where PCG and HB managers are doing less than they could to employ the unemployed GPs and locums?
Watch out Red Tory,youve already lost the room by not funding GPs NI increase.Guess what do we take a pay cut to maintain services or cut services staff.Can you read the audience.By the way s try getting hols of an upper echelon ICB bod on a friday after 11am, bet they are working from home and uncontactable.
I was told many years ago that when it comes to stuff like this there really is no such thing as never or always
Looks like a substantive new GP contract is gong to prove difficult with this labour party!
Does anyone take him seriously?
In 5 years time he will have slooped off to another cushy pretend job and 10 years from now no one will remember him.
Perhaps he should have been more creative with his CV and he could have been in line for Chancellor.
He chose the wrong target. He should have smirked that the BMA’s “coasting” in its IA and negotiations…no wonder he doesn’t take GPs seriously.
Any real, visible IA anytime soon in our future, before traditional GP becomes a distant memory screwed over by the new BMA negotiated contract?
I bet he has no evidence to back this up. Shame; I thought he might be just a bit better than all the other SOSs for health.
Thank the man in the sky I’ve left the UK.
It’s a shetshow. To get the people in charge you deserve?