The BMA’s General Practitioners’ Committee will ballot GP partners in England on ‘collective action’ against the GP contract next month.
The June ballot will decide whether or not GPs take action against the contract imposition from Thursday 1 August 2024. In a video to GPs, GPC chair Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer acknowledged that GPs had asked for an opportunity to take action ‘sooner rather than later’.
GPs have from Monday 17 June until Monday 29 July to vote on action.
In the event of a ‘phase two’, a statutory ballot on suggested contract breach actions (e.g. action short of strike or strike), the BMA has confirmed that this could include other GP members, e.g. salaried GPs and GP registrars.
Pharmacy and practice managers partners have raised some concerns about their lack of access to the ballot despite being part of GP partnerships across England.
To vote in the non-statutory ballot, GP partners must log in to bma.org.uk and check personal details are current and correct. All partners are encouraged to double-check their details in order to ensure their vote is valid; gpcontract@bma.org.uk can provide further assistance where details are not yet correct.
Whether BMA members or not, GPs can attend BMA roadshows this summer to learn more about proposals and risks of action. For example, Londonwide LMCs has now announced its own free event on 13 June.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “GP partners are going to need space and time to attend these roadshows and discuss as a team. One way locums could help here would be to find out when the BMA roadshows are taking place locally, and add their availability to LocumDeck on those dates.”
