One of the more inflammatory press releases to hit the GP email inbox over Christmas was headlined: Double payment of GPs in Cameron’s new NHS bureaucracy.
Today GPonline reports what we consider to be the most relevant element of the research: the huge variation in pay for GP commissioners.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of Labour’s work is the language used to describe GPs who are working as both clinicians and commissioners. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham says: ‘These figures show yet more hidden costs of the government’s plans, asking the NHS to pay for GPs who choose to attend meetings of the new commissioning boards and again for a second doctor to cover their surgery appointments.’
As commenter Dr Jonathan Harte writes: ‘Yet again the press pick up the easy target of GPs being paid to (do) a job the secretary of state wants us to do (some may say imposed on us), which is new work, not part of any current contract.’
So GPs face getting caught in the flak for doing what their government wants.
Are our MPs paid once only? Would their constituents benefit if their MPs had less time for them? Did former health secretary Patricia Hewitt restrict herself to her MP pay packet despite doing other jobs?
If Labour wants to restrict GPs to being paid once only for their clinical work perhaps its MPs should lead by example.
