Moaning GPs threaten strike over plans to name and shame them in league tables

MOANING GPs are threatening to strike in protest at plans to name and shame them in league tables.

The British Medical Association announced it was planning to hold a vote on taking industrial action.

1

It said family doctors were “overworked” and a £250million winter rescue package for the NHS was unacceptable.

GPs are angered by plans to publish league tables showing how many patients each surgery sees in person.

They also object to moves to publish the names and incomes of doctors earning more than £150,000 a year.

Dr Richard Vautrey, chairman of the BMA GP Committee, said: “GPs have been left with no alternative but to take this action.

“All efforts to persuade the Government to introduce a workable plan have so far come to nought. The Government has completely ignored our requests for a reduction in bureaucracy to allow us to focus more on patient care.

“We are therefore encouraging doctors to withdraw from this bureaucracy themselves.”

If GPs vote in favour of action they could refuse to carry out parts of their contracts until ministers sit down with them to rewrite the plans.

But they promised the Covid and flu vaccination programmes would not be affected.

Lib Dem health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: “This shows the Government’s deliberately provocative plans to name and shame GPs has backfired.”