GP representatives consider Choose and Book boycott

A boycott of Choose and Book and non co-operation with the National Programme for IT are among the sanctions to be considered by GP representatives this week in response to the profession’s 0% pay rise.

The threat to continuing use of the Choose and Book system comes as GPs’ incentive scheme for e-booking is due to end this month . The directed enhanced services (DES) scheme for choice and booking only runs until March 31 and there is as yet no agreement on an extension or replacement.

Dr Richard Vautrey, GP negotiator and lead on IT issues for the GPC, said the future of the DES remained unclear.

He told EHI Primary Care: “When we last left it with NHS Employers they had expressed the intention to run it for another year but since negotiations have reached an impasse with NHS Employers we have not had an opportunity to revisit it.”

Talks on revisions to the GMS contract for 2007/8 broke down between NHS Employers and the GPC and this month the government accepted a recommendation from the Doctors and Dentists Review Body that GPs should receive a 0% pay rise.

The British Medical Association’s General Practitioner Committee will discuss on Thursday how it will respond to the pay freeze. GPs are the only group in the public sector not to receive a rise this year and GPC chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum described it as a black day for general practice.

He added: “GPs negotiated their new contract in good faith, have worked flat out and have delivered a quality of care second to none. Patients value their family doctors – what a travesty that the state values them at nothing.”

Following the announcement of the pay award GPC representatives have been gathering information about the strength of feeling among grassroots GPs and the possible use of sanctions ahead of this week’s GPC meeting.

GPC member Dr Eric Rose said he wrote to all his constituents about possible action and more than 90% of those who responded backed the suggestion of dropping Choose and Book.

He told EHI Primary Care: “In some ways I wish this wasn’t linked to the zero pay award because I think we should just drop Choose and Book anyway because it is a waste of time.”

Dr Rose said GPs never wanted to take action that would damage patient care.

He added: “Choose and Book is something that is very time-consuming. It is OK on a good day when the wind is in the right direction but an awful lot of people are struggling with it and it doesn’t add a lot of value for patients.”

Dr Rose said many of his constituents said they would also be willing to boycott other aspects of the National Programme for IT but there was less support from GPs for the suggestion of dropping practice based commissioning.