The British Medical Association (BMA) has called an urgent meeting to discuss the healthcare crisis, falling morale and concerns over future risks to patient care.
It is the first time the BMA’s special representatives have got together for an urgent meeting since 2011 when they discussed the Health and Social Care Bill.
The day-long meeting will be held at Church House in Westminster, London, on Tuesday May 3.
The BMA said the agenda includes discussions about “the current funding and workforce crisis across the UK health service, the falling morale amongst doctors and the potential solutions to help protect the future of patient care.”
The BMA’s council chairman Dr Mark Porter said the meeting had been called in response to a request from doctors.
He said: “At a time of unprecedented pressures on healthcare and on those who deliver it, it is time to hear from doctors about the evidence-based solutions needed to protect high quality patient care.
“This will be an opportunity for doctors to highlight their concerns and outline the necessary solutions.”
Speakers include Sir Michael Marmot, the director of the Institute of Health Equity and president of the World Medical Association who will talk about the impact of austerity, Nigel Edwards, the chief executive of the Nuffield Trust who will talk about the funding crisis in healthcare and Anna Bradley, the founding chair of Healthwatch England who is set to share the patients’ perspective on healthcare.
The president of the Royal College of Physicians Jane Dacre will talk about morale and workload pressures in healthcare.
