As a salaried GP and Labour voter, I was alarmed to read Wes Streeting’s comments that he would “tear up the contract” to make all GPs salaried employees (Report, 7 January). Some of his proposals are sensible – increasing the number of medical school places, reforming pension rules, and having more nurses and physiotherapists in surgeries. However, at a time when record numbers of GPs are leaving the profession, and a third of current GPs are considering doing so, it seems bizarre to set up this confrontation.
Mr Streeting is right that increased investment should be met with improvements in standards of care, but this proposal is shortsighted and raises several big questions. With partners going above and beyond, how will their goodwill and hard work be replaced if they are essentially demoted to being employees? Furthermore, how will the managerial, educational and clinical expertise of partners be replaced when they inevitably leave medicine earlier than they would have done?
