The Government is overhauling the way it decides the terms of the GP contract in England starting with next year’s contract – significantly diluting the BMA’s role, our sister title Pulse has exclusively revealed.
The decision will instead see a group of stakeholders consulted on changes – effectively ending the BMA’s role as sole negotiator of contract terms held since the inception of the NHS.
Alongside the BMA GP Committee England, NHS England will also consult with the RCGP, the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC), Healthwatch England, National Voices and the NHS Confederation.
Pulse understands the reason for the change was to make the process more constructive and in order to hear more voices, including from patients.
The decision comes as the Government had cancelled all meetings with the BMA’s GP Committee while reviewing the relationship in recent weeks, amid a row over whether 1 October contract changes mandating core hours online access was agreed with the BMA or whether it was imposed.
In an exclusive article published in Pulse yesterday, NHS England’s primary care director Dr Amanda Doyle revealed that the consultation on next year’s contract will begin shortly.
She said: ‘I am determined to keep listening to your concerns and to work to address them as consultation for the 2026/27 GMS contract begins in the coming weeks.
‘We will consult with GPC England as we usually do but also talk to a range of other groups so that we hear from a wider group of primary care stakeholders, including patients.’
Pulse understands that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC )has a statutory duty to consult the BMA on the Statement of Financial Entitlement (SFE) but that this has to be only one session.
It is also understood that the BMA has been told that each stakeholder will be given one session to discuss the next contract.
However, a DHSC spokesperson said: ‘We will consult with the BMA GPC England as we usually do. The only change is that we will engage with wider primary care stakeholders, including patients.
‘We continue to value and consider GPC England’s input in this process but firmly believe that listening to input from a wider range of stakeholders will only help to strengthen policy making, ensuring that general practice works for staff and patients.’
A spokesperson for the NAPC said: ‘NAPC has been approached – as a membership organisation we are well placed and happy to share the views of our members with the DHSC.’
Healthwatch England head of policy and research William Pett said: ‘Access to GP services remains the most common concern we hear about. This affects communities across the country, but the greatest impact is felt by disadvantaged groups such as disabled people and those on lower incomes.
‘We therefore welcome the opportunity to bring the experiences and concerns of patients into GP contract negotiations. By ensuring the patient voice is heard, the NHS can make services more patient‑centred and responsive to real needs.’
Ruth Rankine, primary care director at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘We look forward to working with the Government and other partners to inform the future contract as part of this consultation process.
‘Primary care is made up of multidisciplinary teams that work together to deliver care for patients. With the focus on delivering the Government’s ambition of moving care closer to home through a neighbourhood health service we need to ensure that the future GP contract reflects the valuable role general practice has to play and support the collaboration that is needed across primary care as well as with the rest of the system in order to succeed.’
Primary care minister Stephen Kinnock last week said talks could not go ahead whilst the BMA was threatening to take collective or industrial action over a contract the Government claims GPC England agreed in full.
The England LMC Conference earlier this month backed a number of motions to escalate the dispute, including potential full-day walkouts, undated resignations and refusing online access compliance.
However, GPCE chair Dr Katie Bramall said last week there were ‘no current plans’ for a ballot and no such motions were on the agenda for this week’s GPCE meeting when it was circulated to members last Thursday.
A version of this article was first published by our sister title Pulse
