'It will only punish patients': Health Secretary Wes Streeting urges GPs to end industrial action

The Health Secretary Wes Streeting is expected to urge GPs in England to end collective action, warning it “will only punish patients”.

Streeting will address doctors at the Royal College of GPs conference in Liverpool on Friday, telling them not to close their doors to patients but instead work with the government.

He is expected to say: “I understand after 14 years of neglect why GPs wanted to give the previous government a kicking. But collective action will only punish patients.

“This Government is already hiring 1,000 more GPs and have committed to growing the proportion of NHS resources going to primary care. Instead of shutting your doors to patients, work with us to rebuild the NHS together.”

In August, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced that 8,500 of its GP members took part in the ballot, with 98.3% voting in favour of collective action.

The BMA has proposed 10 actions for GP surgeries, allowing practices to choose how many to adopt.

They include GPs limiting the number of patients seen per day to 25, potentially stopping work they are not formally contracted to do, and not sharing patient data unless it is in the best interests of the patient.

Streeting will add: “Our reform agenda will deliver three big shifts in healthcare to make the NHS fit for the future – moving it from analogue to digital, hospital to community, and sickness to prevention.“GPs have a crucial role to play in all three. But we will only turn the NHS around if we work together.”

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He will also use his speech to announce plans to reduce the number of forms GPs are expected to fill in, freeing up more time to spend with patients.

Streeting will say: “GPs are forced to spend far too much time filling in forms when we need them caring for patients.

“I’m determined to bulldoze bureaucracy and cut red tape so we can free up GPs to deliver more appointments.

“The NHS is broken, but it wasn’t GPs who broke it. This Government will work with them to fix the front door to the health service, so the NHS can be there for us when we need it once again.”

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