Doctors called for the British Medical Association (BMA) to join with other unions and stage a national day of action over the NHS at a meeting held today.
The Special Representative Meeting, held at Church House, Westminster, the doctors gathered to discuss the crisis in the NHS.
GPs who spoke in an open debate about solutions to the crisis in the NHS told the special meeting they wanted to see more money go into general practice now.
Dr Anthea Mowat, the deputy chair of the representative body said “collaboration has to be the watchword” for doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Doctors called for closer working with other healthcare professionals including nurses and health visitors to take the pressure off doctors in general practice.
North west London GP registrar Dr Bhavagaya Bakshi said gaps in shifts were affecting morale.
“We want patients to be safe and healthy. We can’t close the gap on hospitals and GP surgeries.”
Sir Sam Everington called for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to be scrapped.
The GP who practices in Tower Hamlets in east London told the BMA’s special meeting “get rid of it”.
He said it would be better to spend the money the CQC costs on improvements.
He called for better access for social prescribing to help alleviate health and wellbeing issues.
“It takes the pressure off GPs. The patients are empowered to do what matters to them.”
The BMA’s president Sir Albert Aynsley-Green advised BMA leaders to study the 2,500 year-old classic book The Art of War.
He said the book recommended knowing the enemy. In England he said these were ”ideological zealots”. The book also advises exploiting their [your enemies] vulnerabilities. “In England there is a slender majority,” he told the gathering of 500 doctors and trainees and advised them the government faced a vulnerability over seven-day services.
“Carry on banging the drum and keep up the relentless campaign in exploiting their vulnerability,” he said.
