British Medical Association votes in favour of collective action - information for local people
The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced this week that its GP members have voted in favour of collective action, which can take effect from 1 August 2024.
Please be assured GP practices will remain open during this time and should be used as normal, especially if you have urgent or on-going health concerns. You should also attend any planned appointments unless you are informed otherwise. However, some GPs may direct patients to other local services.
Under the collective action, GPs can choose from 10 actions, which include limiting their daily contacts to 25, stopping the use of certain referral systems, serving notice on some voluntary services, as well as a range of other actions related to use of data. The nature of the collective action means that the impacts will vary at different GP practices and from area to area.
While this action takes place the local health and care system will work together to ensure the impact on patients is kept to a minimum, but we anticipate this action will cause disruption across the NHS, and we thank our local population for their patience and understanding during this time.
What should General Practices be doing during collective action?
During collective action practices are still required to fulfil their contracts. This essentially means:
- Practices are required to be open between 0800 and 1830 Monday to Friday.
- Practices should provide reasonable care to patients. This includes:
- Making appointments available
- Providing advice or care to patients by another means
- Giving advice on alternative services
- Providing access to prescriptions, long terms condition management, vaccinations, diagnoses and referral (including where clinically urgent)
- Practices also need to take into account:
- The needs of a patient to avoid risks to patient safety
- The benefits to patients of providing continuity of care
The NHS would like to remind patients of the following advice for using their GP practice and other services:
Taking care of yourself
- Make sure you have enough of your prescribed medications. You can easily order repeat prescriptions via the NHS App, though your GP practice website or, if you do not have access to GP online services, by calling your GP practice
- As well as for ordering repeat prescriptions, you can also use the NHS App to make other requests from your GP practice at a convenient time for you, for example for booking appointments, and viewing your health record or correspondence.
- If you are generally in good health, many minor ailments can be treated at home with no need for medical attention. In most cases the illness will get better by itself and so an appointment with your GP practice or another NHS service isn’t required
Patients with health concerns – using alternative services
- Your pharmacy can provide advice and over-the-counter medication for many illnesses, but they can also provide prescription medication for oral contraception, earache, impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis, sore throat, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) for women aged 16-64 – without the need for a GP appointment. Your GP practice may also ask a local pharmacy to see you on their behalf for certain conditions. They are open late and no appointment is needed
- Anyone who needs urgent care should use 111.nhs.uk to be assessed and directed to the right care for them. If needed a healthcare professional will call you back and this option can save you time in waiting areas. If you do not have internet access or you are contacting 111 about a patient aged 5 or under, please call 111 instead.
- Corby Urgent Care Centre is open every day between 8am and 8pm and can help with minor injuries/ illnesses such as lacerations, sprains, strains, minor burns or scalds.
- For urgent mental health support call 0800 448 0828
Full details of the collective action can be found on the BMA website