Publication of top earning GPS delayed in latest climbdown

Government attempts to placate family doctors as union gauges interest in taking industrial action

HIGH-EARNING GPS will not be forced to publish their pay levels this winter, in a government climbdown, as unions consider industrial action. Health officials had said that family doctors would have to declare any earnings above £150,000 as of next week, under new rules on pay transparency.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) threatened industrial action over the matter, as part of protests over government plans to boost the number of patients seen face-to-face.

The union has just held a consultative ballot asking members whether they support industrial action. Such moves could see GPS refuse to provide patients with vaccine exemption certificates, or hand over data that could be used to shame them for poor levels of face-toface appointments. Other proposed actions included refusal to provide earnings data.

The moves have sparked growing tensions, with some GPS questioning whether such actions will lose them public support, while others backed a militant stance. Dr Farah Jameel, a London GP, who took over as chairman of the BMA’S GPS committee yesterday, has previously complained that GPS are being “exploited and taken advantage of ” by being expected to provide more services than they were paid for.

The Government said yesterday that publication of earnings data would now be deferred until the spring.

A government source said: “We recognise the need for GPS and their teams to be focusing on seeing patients during the busy winter months. We look forward to continuing this dialogue to bring in the changes.”

A separate source close to the discussions questioned whether this delay would be enough to persuade the union against industrial action.

A BMA spokesman said: “With GPS facing some of the most intense pressures many have ever experienced, the BMA has been clear that this policy was likely to be counter-productive.

“Crucially, these changes could have caused disruption over the winter period, distracting from the immediate priorities facing practices and their patients. We are glad that the secretary of state is delaying these plans, providing some breathing space for hardworking GPS.”

Published NHS data on GP earnings shows average pay topped £100,000 in 2019-20, before tax and expenses, after an 11 per cent rise in four years.

The threat of industrial action represents the first major clash between the BMA and ministers since the junior doctors’ strike five years ago.

The union has already told GPS to stop seeing new patients and accused Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, of creating a “bully’s charter” in his attempt to boost face-to-face appointments.

Even before the indicative ballot on industrial action was opened, the union urged GPS to reject much of their daily workload.