All members of the General Practitioners’ profession affiliated with the British Medical Association (BMA) have been asked to participate in a pivotal single-question referendum. The referendum seeks to gauge their acceptance of the General Medical Services (GMS) contract proposed for the year 2024/25.
Running from 7th to 27th March, the referendum posed a straightforward query: Do you approve of the 2024/25 GMS contract for general practice as presented by the government and NHS England, Yes or No? Participation in the referendum was open to all members of the General Practitioners’ community under the auspices of the BMA, encompassing partners, salaried GPs, locum GPs, and GP registrars.
Purpose of the referendum
During a BMA webinar held on 6th March, Dr. Katie Bramall-Stainer, Chair of the BMA England’s GP committee, clarified that the referendum serves as a gauge of sentiment across general practice and is not a ballot concerning industrial action. However, she announced that the BMA plans to host focus groups with GPs during June and July at various roadshows to explore potential forms of industrial action for the autumn. Dr. Bramall-Stainer outlined several prospective actions for GPs later in the year.
Encouraging non-member GPs to join the BMA to voice their opinions, Dr. Bramall-Stainer emphasised the national significance of the contract and the necessity of a united front within the national trade union. She underscored the imperative for collective input, stressing that disengagement would undermine the cause of general practice.
The referendum, Dr. Bramall-Stainer asserted, provides an avenue for NHS England and the government to hear the viewpoints of GPs on a large scale regarding the proposed contract for 2024/25.
2024/25 proposed contract
The proposed contract, stated for implementation from 1st April, represents the third consecutive imposition and offers only a 1.9% increase in practice funding. This follows years of sub-inflationary increases due to the barrier of the five-year contract agreed upon in 2019.
The BMA has raised concerns over the real-term reduction in funding that the contract imposition will bring in April, rendering the business model of practices unsustainable.
Last week, the BMA indicated that practices would require an 8.7% increase in funding merely to restore levels to those of 2019. Dr. Bramall-Stainer reiterated this demand during the webinar, alongside advocating for more substantial increases for certain payments to practices, such as stagnant immunisation payments over recent years.
Furthermore, Dr. Bramall-Stainer disclosed that various ‘cost-neutral’ proposals put forth by the BMA were rebuffed by the government and NHS England during negotiations. This included, allowing Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to finance GP supervision time for additional role staff using Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funds and permitting practices to adopt limited liability partnerships. In urging GPs to express their opinions on the proposed contract, Dr. Bramall-Stainer emphasised the importance of a collective and resounding message from the myriad of voices within general practice.
What was the result of the vote?
Following the closure of the referendum on 27th March, the results shortly followed which revealed that just over 19,000 GPs and GP registrars took part in the survey and 99.2% of them voted no in this referendum. This demonstrates that GPs across the country are overwhelmingly unhappy with the new contract.
The GP committee of the BMA convened on 28th March to deliberate the results and consider there next steps. Subsequently, the committee will publish its vision for general practice in May, serving as a manifesto for the forthcoming general election, ahead of the summer roadshows dedicated to discussing potential industrial action.
Dr. Bramall-Stainer also anticipated the possibility of further negotiations with the government in August or September following the publication of recommendations on pay for 2024/25 by the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body (DDRB). GPs, previously excluded from this process due to pre-agreed uplifts within the five-year GP contract, will now be covered by the DDRB report.
The timeline for key events is as follows:
7th to 27th March: Referendum period
28th March: BMA England GP committee convenes to discuss results
1st April: Contract imposition
May: Publication of GP committee’s vision for general practice
June/July: BMA roadshows to discuss industrial action, development of industrial action plan, and anticipation of DDRB pay report
August/September: Potential further negotiations following DDRB report
Autumn onwards: Potential industrial action
How can we help?
At Hawsons our dedicated team of GP accountants offer a specialist service to GPs and their practices, utilising our in-depth knowledge and experience in the sector.
Our accountants are up to date with the changes in the health service and recognise the need for doctors to devote maximum time to patient care. We strongly believe that through the use of our specialist knowledge and expertise this can be achieved.
Scott Sanderson
Partner, Sheffield
Free initial meeting
Related content
BVA launch ‘Return to Work’ toolkit to tackle staffing problems
For veterinary practice, recruitment and retention have long been persistent hurdles. Fostering positive workplace environments is pivotal not only in attracting fresh talent but also in enticing skilled professionals back into the profession. To confront this issue...
Care England launch plan to solve care home recruitment crisis
In response to the pressing need to tackle the ongoing recruitment and retention challenges faced by the adult social care sector in England, Care England has taken a proactive step forward by introducing an end-to-end solution. As the largest representative body of...
Pharmacy First Launch – Almost half the UK were not aware
What is the Pharmacy First Initiative? Health leaders across England are celebrating the much-anticipated launch of the Pharmacy First service, marking a significant step forward in healthcare accessibility and efficiency. With over 90 percent of pharmacies onboard,...