This time, we have a vote where over 90% want the Bill withdrawn. Not changed, but withdrawn.
Clare Gerada (RCGP Chair of Council) makes a cogent case for withdrawal of the Bill. A Government minister, Mr Simon Burns MP, says that is "not what he is hearing" when he goes round the country (need to start listening, Simon), and the Family Doctor Association (who are they?) support it.
If there is not a withdrawal of the Bill, then the GPs can say that they tried as an unholy mess unravels, the private profiteers cherry pick the easy bits to do, and we will be left with an uncoordinated, shambolic, expensive, and worse service (like the mail service and the Trains).
Find me a Jobbing GP who disagrees with Clare.
Frankly, we all agree with her.
6 comments:
It's most alarming. Do you think the real reason they are pushing ahead with this is that reorganisation had jumped the gun, as suggested on the BBC news website? In which case it's too expensive NOT to go ahead? What do you think? Hard for a layman like me to assess how much change is already in the pipeline
Well done GPs - the vast majority will still be able to look yourself in the mirror if Lansley's turd burger ever makes it through M'Luds
Family Doctors Association was formerly known as the Small Practice Association.
I left when they changed the name.
I have enormous regard for Clare. I was proud to be elected a Fellow of the college at the same time as she was. But we all know that politicians do things for political reasons - doing what they think will appeal to the voters. Not what is necessarily good for the NHS
The Family Doctors Association is an "Educational Charity" and claims that "over 1,000 practices" are members. That is less than 10% of the GP practices in the country. Even if every member of this organisation were in agreement on the Health Bill that is hardly representative of all GPs.
The government must be really panicked if that is the only organisation they could find who they dare to quote as supportive to their plans.
It seems the Family Doctor Association represents the dying bred of small practices which own their premises rather than renting from the NHS, hence their link to the organisaton "GP Surveyors", rightly criticised in this article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8613919/No-win-no-fee-companies-make-GPs-millions.html
Post a Comment