THE BMA yesterday condemned the Brown government for putting the drive to reach its political targets before patient healthcare.
‘We are being bullied so that the Prime Minister can tick a box next to a politically driven target.
‘This is without regard for the damage this could do in the long-term to patient services in primary care,’ said angry doctors’ leaders.
The British Medical Association’s (BMA’s) GP Committee (GPC) said it could not accept the government’s current proposal on extended hours because doctors believe it will adversely affect the most needy patients.
The BMA added: ‘The government has rejected the doctors’ own proposals for offering longer hours and instead is threatening to impose a draconian contract if GPs won’t agree to the deal on the table.’
Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA’s GP Committee told a press conference: ‘We believe the government’s method of negotiation is nothing short of a disgrace.
‘They have effectively put a gun to our head and said if we don’t accept their proposal they will impose a more draconian contract.
‘The vast majority of our patients, and in particular those with chronic diseases or mothers with young children, prefer to come to surgeries during the day.
‘They will be the ones who lose out if GPs are forced to work differently.’
Since October the GPC and NHS Employers have been involved in detailed negotiations aimed at coming to a UK-wide agreement on extending opening hours in the evenings and at weekends.
No new money to resource longer hours – for example to pay for nurses and practice staff – is being offered but existing money would be recycled.
GP representatives said they would seek the opinion of the UK’s family doctors on the terms of the government’s proposal.
Dr Buckman added: ‘We have done our utmost to come to a deal which would improve access for the minority of patients who are unhappy with the current arrangements, while at the same time trying to ensure it would not be at the expense of our most vulnerable patients, and by that I mean the elderly, the long-term sick and the very young.
‘The BMA’s proposal would have seen an average practice of six thousand patients provide an extra two hours of surgery time, the equivalent of an extra evening or Saturday morning.
‘We are disappointed and angry that the government is not listening to GPs.’
