Streeting says collective action 'unnecessary' after GPs vote overwhelmingly in favour
ITV News Health Correspondent Rebecca Barry explains how the development could affect members of the public
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he does not believe collective action by GPs is "necessary" after those in England voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking collective action.
On Wednesday, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced the result of a ballot in which 98.3% of GPs voted in favour of taking part in one or more examples of collective action.
The organisation said that it would now be asking practices to choose from a list of ten actions - such as limiting the number of patients a GP sees each day to 25 and switching off NHS software which tries to cut prescribing costs.
GP practices will be able to choose to implement as few or as many of these actions as they want, with doctors saying the action could last for "months".
Speaking to ITV News, Mr Streeting urged GPs to work with the government to "rebuild general practice".
He said: "What I would say to GPs is that the Tories got a kicking at the General Election and you won't be punishing them if you take collective action, it will be patients that are punished.
"We're now four weeks into a new Labour government. We were voted on a mandate of change and I think we've shown in the first four weeks our determination to work with general practice, to rebuild it with GPs in partnership."
The BMA described the development as "an act of desperation", while the Royal College of GPs said it shows the "strength of feeling" among family doctors in England.
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NHS England has urged patients to come forward for care as normal during the period of collective action.
Practices will still be required to open between 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.
The BMA has said the new GP contract, which will see services given a 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25, means many surgeries will struggle to stay financially viable.
GPs launched a formal dispute over the issue in April, after a referendum carried out by the union found 99% of 19,000 GPs rejected the contract.
The last time GPs took collective action was in 1964 when family doctors collectively handed in undated resignations to the Wilson government.
On that occasion, it led to reform, including the Family Doctor Charter of 1965.
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of BMA's GP committee for England (GPCE), said: "We had a huge response to this ballot, and the results are clear - GPs are at the end of their tether.
"This is an act of desperation. For too long, we've been unable to provide the care we want to.
"We are witnessing general practice being broken. The era of the family doctor has been wiped out by recent consecutive governments and our patients are suffering as a result."
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