The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7207 p88
20 July 2002

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GPs say "yes" to new contract

General practitioners have voted in favour of a new GP contract (PJ, 11 May, 641). Negotiators will now seek to price the contract before a second vote later this year.

Asked to respond to the question "Do you believe that the new general medical services contractual framework is an acceptable basis on which to proceed to the next stage of detailed negotiations and the preparation of a priced contract on which the profession will be balloted?", 75.8 per cent voted "yes" with a turnout of 65 per cent.

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee, said: "We are not blinded by the impressive size of the 'yes' vote, welcome though it is. We know that we have to sort out key areas such as pensions, an end to the current system of forced patient allocations and the introduction of effective demand management initiatives if the result of the next vote is also to be 'yes'."