Wes Streeting calling for end to action by GPs warning it will ‘punish patients’

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

Wes Streeting will deliver a speech to doctors at the Royal College of GPs conference in Liverpool on Friday.

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 8,500 of its GP members took part the ballot, with 98.3% voting in favour of collective action.

The BMA recommended 10 actions to surgeries, with practices able to choose how many they implement.

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.

Mr 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.”

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

As part of the so-called Red Tape Challenge, officials will ask GPs, hospitals and integrated care boards (ICBs) what changes they would like to see, with the information fed back to a group of doctors working in primary and secondary care.

The information will be passed to NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard in early 2025.

Mr 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.”

Ms Pritchard said: “GPs and wider NHS staff go above and beyond every day to care for patients but they are under immense pressure, so it is absolutely right that we find ways to help alleviate that pressure.

“So together with the Government, I am delighted that we are launching the Red Tape Challenge – from small rural GP practices to large inner-city hospitals, we know there are brilliant initiatives happening in communities across England to prioritise patients over paperwork, but we need to be better at sharing and implementing those ideas across the health service.

“We know patients are often struggling with timely access to primary care and we are committed to working with general practice teams to address that – so I echo the calls from the Secretary of State to step back from collective action so we can focus on fixing the many challenges that GPs face together.”