Pulse editor Sofia Lind reflects on a big week for general practice, with a wholesale new contract confirmed and the primary care minister speaking at Pulse LIVE
GPs are to see a wholesale new contract before the end of Labour’s parliamentary term. This was confirmed in writing by health secretary Wes Streeting this week.
The confirmation was received in the nick of time ahead of England’s LMCs meeting for a special conference to discuss potential escalation of collective action. This is now looking unlikely unless the relationship with the Government goes sour.
Primary care minister Stephen Kinnock told me, and over 400 visitors to the Pulse LIVE conference on Wednesday, that he feels the relationship is fundamentally ‘fixed’. Let’s hope it stays this way, and that a constructive dialogue between the Government and profession can continue.
Mr Kinnock also stated that the Government has no ideological convictions that will lead to the end of the partnership model. In fact, he stated he was ‘absolutely’ committed to the model being retained with the new contract.
He also urged GPs to take part in the consultation process ahead of the Government’s 10-year plan, due to be published in May. And he made a surprise announcement that he will be looking into making it less easy to become a therapist in this country and giving out mental health diagnoses.
Interestingly, he mentioned that in Sweden you need six years’ worth of training to reach that position. In retrospect, we wished we had asked him – considering those views – where he stands in the physician associate scope debate.
On that note, UMAPs, the PA trade union announced this week that the first legal cases regarding discrimination from GP practices – based on RCGP and BMA guidance – were to be launched this week.
It is only March but this is shaping up to be an interesting year for general practice.
Sofia Lind is editor of Pulse. Find her at [email protected] or on LinkedIn
Oh Dear. If Mr Kinnock believes the relationship is even ‘fundamentally fixed’ whilst GP practices are foldung due to lack of funds, and Partners are burning out, and newly qualified GPs and locums are destitute from unemployment and retrainin or going overseas, this is bad news indeed for all remaining GPs and their patients.
Does anyone ever stop to think that this ‘new contract’ “before the end of the Labour term in office” could still be at least 4 years away ? Will GP in Britain even last that long?
At the current rate of progress it is touch and go whether the NHS will last that long other than as a franchiser for privatised military spyware tech firms !
Well said David. Kinnock sent to blow smoke up GPs’ a**es. I’d like to believe his words but he’s gotta bow to Keir Hardly and Reeve Rachel. And, unfortunately, in all their actions thus far, they appear to be prostrating themselves before the massive sovereign power of private capital, rather than the public interest.
The BMA is just a failing talking shop with no reverence for unionist action.
So, I agree that the NHS will be carved up and sold for the profit of private companies (likely American), maybe including Amazon (and AWS). I’m sure Palantir will get a cut.
But I do have a hope that the political and economic chaos unleashed by Trump causes our Govt to rethink economic policy that puts First UK companies Over Foreign businesses – ie F*KOF….