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GP contract : 2008/09 poll questions on GPs extended hours

18 February 2008

Completed forms must be returned by Friday 29 February.

The BMA’s GPs committee (GPC) is asking the following questions in its poll of GPs on extended hours. The poll is being posted to all GPs this week with an accompanying letter from the Chairman of the GPC, Dr Laurence Buckman.

The GPC announced in December that it would poll the profession after the government rejected the BMA’s own proposal for extended hours and announced GPs would have to accept its own plans or face further, harsher changes to their contract. The GPC said it could not accept or reject the ‘offer’ under threat and decided to seek the views of all GPs.

Dr Buckman says, “Every GP in the country should fill in this poll when it lands on their doormat. It is vitally important we know their views. The government is going to force through non-negotiated changes to the contract and there is no third way available to GPs. The GPC thinks both options are unacceptable, but we have to choose one. GPs should not abstain or spoil their poll paper because they want to vote “No” to both options. We understand why GPs may want to do that, but in effect it just means they would be voting for alternative B.

“I’m asking GPs to consider the information that comes with the poll, to think about the impact both options would have on their surgery, their patients and general practice as a whole, and to answer accordingly.”

Download the text of the questions and the letter and webcast to GPs using the links on the right.