Ballot and Collective Action-
Immediately following the Ballot of GPs (at the end of July) the LMC suggested that Practices should take a tactical pause before going ahead with any action to carefully consider the GPC options for collective action, consult with patients/PPGs on the actions which might be taken and allow colleagues to return from holiday. We also noted that implementing action in unity, whatever the options each practice prefers, displays collective strength.
The LMC now ask practices to end the pause and implement the actions they prefer in September.
During the pause period we have surveyed practices in Sefton on their preferences for action and the results are shown in the five slides attached to this bulletin. The results will allow you to see the readiness to take action among Sefton practices and the most strongly favoured options. Overall, there is a majority ready to take action in the case of each option.
In our last Bulletin we provided a provisional commentary on the each of the options for action and an assessment of the impact on the System each would have together with a rating of how difficult these would be to implement in practices.
In moving to the point of taking action there is a need to provide practices with the chance to raise and chat through queries about the options and how the actions might be implemented etc.
So please drop into our Dispute / Collective Action Open Teams meeting on Tuesday 3rd September – 6.30 pm onwards and hear what others are thinking, doing and get answers to your queries. An invitation to the Teams meeting has been sent to you in the e-mail with this Bulletin.
The LMC will provide you with more information on the collective actions which can be taken – i.e., how to, actual impact, and update you on developments, as the dispute progresses.
A LMC GP Contract dispute WhatsApp group for GPs has been created to convey information / breaking news rapidly and to give GPs a confidential online forum to chat about the dispute.
This is our preferred way of keeping GPs updated on developments at national leave and circulating advice – so make sure you are on it. We have now created a PMs Contract Dispute WhatsApp group to do the same for them- PMs can join the group by contacting the LMC office and providing us with a mobile phone number.
The LMC is here to encourage practices to take action in pursuit of a satisfactory GP Contract and to support them in whatever of the options they choose to take the a with information and advice.
Pay Awards – 7.5% funding uplift to Global Sum
One of the reasons for suggesting a post ballot tactical pause on-collective action was to see whether the incoming Secretary of State wished to address the dispute with proposals which could obviate the need to take it. No proposals have yet materialised. Moreover, the DH&SC and NHS remain in the same modus operandi.
The recent uplift to practice Global Sum funding to cater for the GP Pay Body award and uplift to practice staff -6% does not meet the erosion of real funding since 2018 nor in fact deliver the real costs to Practices of the ‘6%’ pay uplift and the upcoming uplifts to statutory minimum wage levels.
VIEW Sefton `lmc survey of GP preferences for Colletive action responce
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If you have a query about any of the above, please contact the LMC Office at seftonlmc@seftonlmc.co.uk