Work-to-rule punishes patients, Streeting tells GPs

The health secretary has urged GPs in England to end collective action and warn it will "only punish patients" in a speech on Friday.

Addressing the Royal College of GPs conference in Liverpool, Wes Streeting said he understands why doctors "wanted to give the previous government a kicking".

But he asked them not to "shut your doors to patients" and instead "work with us to rebuild the NHS together".

GPs voted to work-to-rule in a ballot conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA) in August, with 98.3% of the 8,500 GPS who took part in favour of taking collective action.

Following the ballot, the BMA recommended 10 protocols for surgeries to action, including limiting the number of patients seen by a doctor each day to 25 and being able to stop work when they are not contracted to do so.

NHS England warned the action could not only disrupt GP services, but also affect A&E waits and delay referrals for treatments such as knee and hip operations.

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Source: BBC News, 4 October 2024