GPs vote against C+B boycott

GP representatives have voted against a boycott of Choose and Book and left it up to individual practices to decide if they want to stop using the e-booking system.

The British Medical Association’s General Practitioner Committee (GPC) last week narrowly voted against a proposal that GPs should stop using Choose and Book as part of a debate about how the profession should react to its 0% pay award.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the GPC, wrote to all GPs on Friday to outline the alternative strategy agreed at the meeting which was that the GPC will issue guidance about ways in which GP practices could curb their expenses and therefore maintain their income in 2007/8.

Dr Meldrum ‘s letter tells GPs that the guidance, due to be published in a week or so, will provide practices with a portfolio of possible areas of work which may not be cost-effective for them and which they may wish to discontinue, depending upon their individual circumstances and those of other local practices and their primary care organisations.

The letter adds: “Examples from the portfolio for England may be such things as Choose and Book, access and further guidance on issues around practice based commissioning, all of which have been mentioned as policies with which we should cease to cooperate. Clearly, it is essential that there is no detriment to patient care.”

Before last week’s meeting GP representatives said there was a lot of support among grassroots GPs for dropping Choose and Book, particularly since the directed enhanced service (DES) for choice and booking ends on March 31. However Dr Meldrum said there was “little or no appetite” for actions that would constitute industrial action or harm patients or staff.

A spokesperson for NHS Employers told EHI Primary Care that they did not know what would happen to the choice and booking DES after March 31. She added: “We have been unable to negotiate a contract for 07/08 with the GPC and it is now with the departments of health for a decision on the way forward.”

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GP representatives consider Choose and Book boycott