Dr Jane Lees-Millais, a GP locum and member of the Conservative party, warned Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that the NHS is ‘disintegrating’ at a public event in Melksham, Wiltshire, the Daily Mirror reported.
Dr Lees-Millais told the Prime Minister: “The NHS is disintegrating. I am one of 2,500 GPs in this country who are currently unemployed due to your policies. What are you going to do about that?
“Thirty-seven thousand GPs will not vote Conservative because of the constructive dismissal of general practice that is currently occurring.”
Dr Lees-Millais also seemed to refer to the debate over ARRS roles that has gripped primary and secondary care.
“The country is not stupid,” she added. “They know when lesser-qualified people are being used to conduct consultations which are massively complex.”
The Tories, Lib Dems, Labour and Greens have all released General Election manifestos. Responding to the Conservative Party General Election manifesto, BMA council chair Professor Philip Banfield said: “This manifesto is full of ideas we have already heard and doctors and healthcare staff will rightly be extremely sceptical about how they will be delivered, given the party’s record over the last 14 years in Government and the state that it has left health services and the health of the nation in.”
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair and GP, said: “Whilst there’s debate over who actually said ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results’, it’s clear that many doctors are not going to make this mistake again when we go to the polls next month.
“And whichever party does get into power is going to inherit a chronically underfunded system with a thoroughly demoralised workforce, and will not have the funds the NHS needs to inject any new funding, so even more change is inevitable.
“Dr Lees-Millais spoke for many of us, with brave clarity and a message that landed in headlines across the national media, with the public hearing the anxiety we face from the front lines.”