GPs threaten mass resignation
2001-06-01 20:06
London - Britain's family doctors embarrassed Prime Minister Tony Blair's
carefully plotted re-election strategy on Friday with a warning of a
mass resignation from the beleaguered state health sector.
Nearly 20 000 of Britain's 36 000 general practitioners said in a survey for the British Medical Association (BMA) that they would be prepared to leave the health
service within a year unless the government delivered "significant
and acceptable" reforms of their jobs.
The threat takes some of the shine off Labour's re-election
campaign, which has focused heavily on promises of investment and
reform in health, education and other public services.
The timing of the BMA warning, with polling day next Thursday,
demonstrates the medical profession's level of frustration at the
slow pace of reform.
It also provided the opposition Tories a rare opportunity to attack
Labour over health, one of voters' top concerns, after their
lacklustre focus so far on Europe.
"It is a very serious indictment of this government's policies,"
Tory chief William Hague said.
Morale across the public services was at "rock bottom," he said.
"Everything possible must be done to avoid the collapse of GP
services and what will avoid that is carrying out sensible
policies."
The contracts GPs have with the National Health Service (NHS) date
back up to 50 years, but falling doctors' numbers and rising
workloads and bureaucracy have brought the service to
breaking-point.
The government said last year it would modernise the contracts,
taking into account concerns over workload, salaries and the
administrative burden.
But Hamish Meldrum, deputy head of the BMA's committee on GPs, said
it had reached an "impasse" with the government over new contracts.
Primary care was "on the edge of an abyss of collapse", he warned.
GPs were "at the end of their tether."
"The message this ballot sends could not be clearer or louder," Dr
Meldrum said, demonstrating "the depth of disenchantment, despair
and disillusion felt by GPs throughout the UK."
The ballot was not a vote for industrial action, he insisted.
He denied its timing was connected with the election. "This is not
really a party political matter," he told BBC radio.
"It is something successive governments have failed to address."
Blair, who on Thursday vowed to turn the final week of the election
campaign a "crusade" for schools and hospitals, said he was more
than ready to tackle the Conservatives over public services.
Labour officials insisted the government was doing all it could, as
fast as it could, to update GPs contracts.
- SAPA