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THE GPC is a BMA committee which deals with all
matters affecting NHS general practitioners in Great Britain. It represents all
GPs whether or not they are members of the BMA and is recognised as the sole
negotiating body by the Department of Health. GPC consists of 83 members, most
of whom are directly elected representatives of the 44 LMCs. The committee
meets monthly and much of its work is undertaken by subcommittees and task
forces. Amongst these are:
Subcommittees
- Commissioning of Care;
- Education and Audit;
- Fundholding;
- General Purposes Subcommittee;
- Hospitals and Special Services;
- Information Management & Technology;
- Sessional GPs;
- Prescribing;
- Registrars;
- Rural Practice;
- Scottish;
- Statutes and Regulations;
- Welsh.
Task Groups
- Practice Premises;
- Mental Health Services;
- GPC Constitution;
- Medical Workforce.
Although GPC is an autonomous 'craft' committee of the BMA
it is required to take into account the views of other interested crafts such
as Junior Doctors Committee and the Joint Consultants Committee when forming
policy. LMCs appoint representatives to attend national conferences and to sit
on GPC so that every part of the UK is represented. Motions approved at the
conference of LMCs form the GPC’s policy and agenda for the next year.
Negotiations with government are undertaken by a five-strong negotiating team
which is elected by the committee and who meet DoH officials frequently.
GPC's Funding
The Defence Fund is the source of funding for this expensive democratic
process. First established in 1913, it enables the GPC to defend the interests
of GPs in respect of their terms and conditions of service. The major source of
income for the fund is voluntary contributions from LMCs, raised from GPs. The
Statutory Levy is defined in legislation as only for use in "defraying the
administrative expenses of the LMC". The legislation enables an LMC to
make a compulsory statutory levy on every GP principal to meet these specified
expenses (but no more). Not all LMCs demand the statutory levy. If GPC is to
genuinely represent non-principals it may be necessary for non-principals to
contribute to the voluntary levy.
The administrative expenses are collected entirely from doctors earnings for
providing GMS and are paid by health authorities. The statutory levy does not
contribute to the Defence Fund. GPC meetings are held in the BMA Council
Chamber usually on the third Thursday of the month, ten months per year. They
are not public and GPC documents are confidential. Staff from the BMJ, BMA News
Review and the BMA News Information Unit attend to report on GPC meetings. A
copy of GPC News is sent to LMCs the day after the meeting and the GPC’s
annual report is sent to every GP.
GPC Non-Principal Conference and Subcommittee
In April 1996 GMC held its first national Sessional GP conference. The
conference discussed educational opportunities, part-time working, workforce
planning and individual career planning. The conference elected Dr Hilary
Barton as the Sessional GP representative on GPC .
During the following year, GPC gave its approval to the setting up of the
first Sessional GP Subcommittee. At the second sessional GP conference in
April 1997, delegates elected seven sessional GPs to serve for one year. Two
others were co-opted at the group's first meeting in September 1997.
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