BMA postpones escalation of GP collective action as talks resume with Government

The British Medical Association’s (BMA) General Practitioners Committee England (GPCE) has postponed further escalation of collective action as it re-enters talks with the Government.

The committee said the decision, which took effect yesterday (17th September), would give its newly elected officer team time to hold discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE).

Existing collective action will continue.

GPCE remains in dispute with the Government over the 2026/27 GP contract, which was rejected by 99% of almost 17,000 BMA GP members who took part in a referendum in March.

At its meeting yesterday, representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the Government’s commitment to negotiations and said they expected substantive progress over the coming months.

In talks, GPCE will seek agreement on a roadmap towards an additional £50 per patient in general practice funding within this Parliament.

It will also call for efforts to remove patients from practice lists to be paused until an agreement is reached on reinvesting the associated funding in core general practice.

Dr Clare Bannon, chair of BMA’s GP committee for England, said: “The committee has come together behind a shared strategy that allows us to reset the relationship with Government, moving away from the hostilities seen in recent years.