GPs in line to earn more for greater powers

Family doctors are set to earn more as part of an NHS "revolution".

GPs on an average annual wage of £106,000 are in line for extra payments as part of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's plans to slash the size of primary care trusts and give GPs commissioning powers.

They do not expect their basic pay, which has been frozen, to rise under the reforms. But the Standard understands that GPs who take on additional commissioning or management roles are in line for extra payment.

Any significant increase in their overall pay package, even for taking on extra duties, is likely to prove controversial in the current economic climate. On the other hand, ministers may struggle to persuade doctors to take on additional responsibilities without a financial incentive.

Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said: "It is important that any new initiatives have the interests of patients at their heart and that they are properly funded.

"We do live in tough economic times, but we must make sure that doctors, working together in groups, are given the necessary resources to implement any reforms properly.

"wIt is also vital that spending time with patients remains the top priority for all GPs."

Mr Lansley is due to unveil a White Paper next week on the radical reforms with negotiations due to take place between the Department of Health and the BMA over a new deal for GPs to include the commissioning work.

The move to give GPs and patients rather than PCTs a greater say over healthcare was today backed by the London-wide Local Medical Committee, which represents 6,000 GPs.

Chief executive Dr Michelle Drage, a GP in Shepherd's Bush, said: "For patients in London, this is one of the best moves that could happen.

"GPs should have more time to devote to care for their patients, giving them better care in the community."

She claimed that family doctors are having to spend far too much time dealing with PCT bureaucracy, and said GPs knew the needs of their patients far more than PCTs as they were on the front line of delivery healthcare and could get better value out of hospitals.

Under the proposed changes, GPs could have far greater responsibility for up to £80 billion for patient care.