Pay Figures Overtaken By Two-year Freeze Says GP Leader, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 22 Mar 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Two years of zero pay awards with not even an inflation increase to cover the costs of paying staff and expenses in a practice, have left most GPs worse off than they were in 2005-06, says Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GPs committee.

Earnings figures for 2005-06 published today (Wednesday, 19th March) by the Government's Information Centre, have been superseded by events, says Dr Buckman.

"These are now historical figures relating to the planned increase in pay for GPs under the new contract. In recognition of the way family doctors' pay had fallen behind in the years leading up to the new contract, the government negotiated a system in which pay would rise significantly in the contract's second year. This is shown in the 05/06 figures.

"Since then GPs have been singled out and their pay has been frozen with not even a cost of living increase in resources for their practices" said Dr Buckman.

All the figures published cover not only earnings from being an NHS GP but any other earnings the doctors receive for example for carrying out insurance examinations at the request of their patients, plus any out-of-hours shifts they work they do which would be in addition to their normal work.

An increasing number of GPs today are salaried doctors who in general earn less than the GPs who undertake the business of running general practice, employing all the staff, looking after premises, and organising patient services. Dr Buckman said: "Many of the salaried doctors work part time, perhaps because of family commitments, and today's figures for salaried GPs reflect an average figure which does not separate out full-time and part time earnings. All the doctors patients see in their surgeries are fully qualified general practitioners."

He added: "General practice is evolving. We should concentrate on what we can do for patients and how we can meet their needs."

http://www.bma.org.uk