A conference is to be held in London by the British Medical Association to debate the possibility of staging walk-outs by GPs in dispute over their increasing workload.
 
Claims from the National Health Service state that as many as one in four appointments each day are a waste of time. Doctors voted unanimously to abandon a Government pledge to offer all patients GP appointments seven days a week, by 2020, describing it as a “political push for the unachievable”.
 
GP union leaders encourage doctors to tell patients to only use their family doctor if they really need to. However, patients’ groups say the proposals are ‘insulting’ to the general public who should not be deterred from seeking help.
 
Controversially, health officials plan to start a national campaign from September, to encourage patients to “self-care” when possible and make more use of pharmacies and online advice.
 
Katherine Murphy, the chief executive of the Patients Association stated “It is insulting for patients to be told by GPs to reconsider visiting their local practice. GPs are a public service funded by taxpayers.”
 
Increased pressures and high demand for GPs has lead to ‘impossible’ workloads. In his speech during the debate, Dr Nagpaul said the mass resignation of GPs is not a threat, but an "impending reality", with two in five doctors planning to quit within five years.
 
Dr Chaand Nagpaul told 400 doctors that too much time was being wasted by patients who did not need medical advice or could have been seen by another professional.
 
He said the campaign should be very clear in warning patients to keep away from GPs if they could look after themselves, or go elsewhere for help.
 
The conference over staging walk-outs will vote on whether to ballot GPs on industrial action, in protest at the NHS plan for GPs, which they say is not an “adequate response” to the crisis in general practice.
 
What do you think?
 
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/19/gps-to-vote-on-strike-action-as-they-say-patients-should-trouble/