Health leaders back GP work-to-rule action

Local health chiefs said the action would help to "save general practice"

GPs in North Staffordshire could start limiting appointments to 25 a day as part of a national dispute over funding.

Surgeries have been given the option to take part in the work-to-rule action approved by the British Medical Association (BMA) earlier this month.

The North Staffordshire Local Medical Committee (LMC), which offers guidance to GPs, advised the 25-a-day limit should “become businesses as usual”.

The government said such action would punish patients but that NHS England had measures in place to “ensure patient safety is protected”.

In a letter to GP surgeries in North Staffordshire, the LMC said limiting the amount of patient contacts was “vital” if doctors were to have a “sustainable environment to work in”.

“European doctors are often shocked to hear of the amount of contacts UK GPs are having. We have reluctantly accepted this as normal as demand grows and capacity reduces,” the letter read.

“The first step is to acknowledge that you have limits, whatever number of contacts you deem acceptable, to help maintain patient safety.”

It said it hoped the changes could be brought in from 1 September.

Dr Chandra Kanneganti said the action would “save general practice and provide better care to patients”

LMC chairman Dr Chandra Kanneganti, who is also a Stoke-on-Trent city councillor, said the action was about being able to “save general practice and to provide better care to patients”.

“We will not do any collective action that will affect direct patient care,” he added.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board said patients should continue to attend GP appointments unless told otherwise.

Seven in 10 members of the BMA took part in the ballot over collective action, with 98.3% voting in favour.

It came after the BMA said the new GP contact offered under the previous government, which included a 1.9% funding increase in 2024/25, would leave many practices struggling to survive.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Collective action will only punish patients. NHS England has preparations in place to ensure patient safety is protected and patients should still come forward for care as usual.”

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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