GPs accused of dishonesty

Warner accuses GPs of acting in bad faith

GPs throughout the country are battening down the hatches as the government starts a concerted doctor-bashing campaign. Labour likes to control people. It hates autonomy. It hates initiative. Therefore, by definition, it hates the professions. Part of the definition of “professional” includes a concept of autonomy, of scope for initiative and of self-regulation.

Average GP pay rises to £106,000

GPs earned an average £106,000 during the first year of their new contract, figures show.

Figures from the Information Centre for health and social care show average earnings rose by 30% during 2004-05. Ministers and NHS bosses expressed concern that so much of the new money had apparently gone on pay, rather than on investment in services. (BBC)

Dr Crippen thinks this figure may be an underestimate. The full time partners in his practice are currently earning about £150,000 a year net of expenses but before tax. We know from our accountant’s figures that we are in the top 20% of practices nationwide. The really high achieving entrepreneurial GPs are earning twice as much. And many of them do not waste time seeing patients. They employ others to do that.

We will save for another day the question of what GPs should be paid. I merely tell you what they are paid.

My pay has gone up approximately 25% over the last two years. That extra money has been earned by hitting government targets. The targets were set by the government, not by us, and mostly have little to do with health care, but a lot to do with “process” and bogus but quantifiable “healthcare achievements”.

We told the government at the outset that it was a waste of money, that the money could be better spent but, to them, “control” was everything.

They removed our professional autonomy. They told us what to do, and promised us piece-rate financial rewards for doing it. So we have done it, and done it more efficiently than they thought possible.

This was always a lose-lose PR exercise for doctors. If we had not hit the targets, we would have been lazy. If we hit them, we are greedy.

All targets hit. All payments made. Healthcare continues to deteriorate. So the government need a scapegoat. Everything has gone wrong. You do not know where all the money has gone. Let us blame the doctors. This is bunker mentality. You lose the war, so it is time to start shooting the soldiers.

Health Minister Lord Warner urged doctors to invest more of their profits back into their business.

He said: "We invested extra funding in GP services in good faith both to improve services and reward GPs. The money was not intended just to boost GPs' profits.

We expect a higher level of these profits to be invested back into their businesses, to bring about further improvements in services for patients, such as longer opening hours or widening the range of services.

We want to see this year and next a higher proportion of practice income going on service improvement for patients, and greater efficiency rather than windfall profits."

I was going to enlist the services of the DK for this, but on reflection, I will do it myself.

You bastard, Warner. What do you mean by “good faith” and “windfall profits”. We worked our rocks off to hit your silly bloody targets. Just because hitting the targets has not helped healthcare, just because your New Labour policies are a disaster, do not suggest we have had our hand in the till. That we are acting in bad faith.

This is typical New Labour. Healthcare policy in ruins. Sack some nurses. Hire some management consultants. Sack some secretaries. Hire some more management consultants. Close some hospitals. Hire yet more management consultants. Blame the NHS staff. Particularly the doctors. Denigrate the doctors in public. Tarnish their name. Suggest they have been "on the fiddle".

Feel free to comment on my pay. Tell me it is too high. Or too low. But do not accuse me of dishonesty.