GP leaders vote to explore dentist-like NHS and private model

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By Daniel Pye

GP representatives have voted to explore moving towards a “hybrid” NHS and private service model because general practice is “no longer financially viable”.

In response to a motion at the local medical committee (LMC) conference in Belfast, GP leaders from around the UK agreed to the need for a "Plan B" for primary care, which would likely be a means-tested subscription-based service similar to dentists.

It comes as English GPs have started taking collective action against the government following the latest General Medical Services (GMS) contract, which the BMA’s general practitioners committee (GPC) says put extra burden on GPs through unlimited appointments without the funding to meet it.

The motion said current GP contracts are failing patients and practices alike, that more GPs are opting to work outside the NHS.

To address this, it called for contracts that permit GPs to provide private services to their NHS patients when they are not contractually available.