BMA GP Collective Action
BMA GP Collective Action
Dear colleagues,
As you will be aware the result of the GPCE ballot was that 98.9% of GPs rejected the imposed contract for 2026/27 and that GPCE voted last week and resolved to ask all practices to join in new collective action.
The first action GPCE is advising is for practices to withdraw from any Data Sharing that is not a contractual, legal, or professional requirement. However, all GPCE is asking for you to do at this stage is to send the letter (attached) which has been drafted and agreed by the BMA legal department.
Some colleagues have raised concern about the potential libelous reference to Palantir’s and UK Biobank within the GPCE draft letter. GPCE have advised that both the BMA internal legal team, and an independent external KC who specialises in defamation, have advised that this letter does not expose senders to claims of defamation. However, to reduce any concern practices may still have, Cheshire LMC along with other LMCs in the Cheshire and Mersey area have chosen to remove this reference from the letter. Practices are still free to use the original GPCE version that has been approved by the BMA legal team.
Some GPs have been questioning whether this action is likely to have any effect. It will have minimal or no impact on practices and patients but could be a major lever in getting the DHSC and NHS England to change their minds about the 26/27 imposed contract.
Your LMC County representatives met yesterday to discuss this Collective Action and are in full support of practices sending the attached template letter to the ICB.
Practices should send it to:
Dr Fiona Lemmens (Executive Clinical Director Cheshire and Mersey ICB) - fiona.lemmens@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
cc: Jonathan Griffiths (Associate Medical Director Cheshire and Mersey ICB) - jonathan.griffiths@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk, John Llewellyn (Chief Digital and Information Officer Cheshire and Mersey ICB) - john.llewellyn@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
Please also cc: Jhughes@CLMC.org.uk so the LMC can monitor engagement with the action.
GPCE will be sharing more detailed information on the collective action on Friday.
Kind regards,
Dr Daniel Harle
Medical Director Cheshire LMC