There must be a growing sense of desperation at the DoH. Alan Johnson and Ben Bradshaw may just be starting to feel that they have pushed a step too far with their plans to bulldoze general practice.
The dynamic duo were no doubt buoyed by their ‘success’ in bullying the GPC to accept extended hours. As chairman Dr Laurence Buckman said yesterday, that was a case of asking GPs: ‘do you want to be hung or shot?’ They should have been more careful.
The profession has since hit back with the support of 1.2 million patients, and Labour must feel that it can do nothing right.
Indeed, Mr Bradshaw’s outrageous accusation that GPs have lied to patients about polyclinics is another move that can only be described as ‘wrong’. Wrong in terms of the facts, and wrong in an ethical sense. Yes, those boys must really be desperate.
Yesterday, GP representatives backed votes of no confidence in the health secretary and Lord Darzi. They defied Dr Buckman’s pleas for caution.He said that ministers were just doing their jobs. ‘We don’t do personal’, said Dr Buckman.
But the floor was not convinced. As Dr Eric Rose said: ‘When someone bullies me in to accepting a policy that could bankrupt the practice that I have spent ten years of my life building up – that’s personal.’
And all this came before Mr Bradshaw accused GPs of ‘false claims’ and ‘blatant inaccuracies’. So, is there any GP in the country now who does not think this battle is personal?