Responding to the news that the BMA will be balloting GPs on whether to stage collective action, Ruth Rankine, director of the NHS Confederation’s primary care network, said:

“There was much to welcome from this year’s GP contract but crucially, the 1.9 per cent uplift for general practice in 2024-25 was never going to be enough and so sadly, it is of no surprise we are in this position where a vote is being put to GPs on whether to stage “collective action”.

“This settlement for the contract was extremely disappointing when the evidence is clear that investing in primary and community care leads to lower demand in hospital and emergency care. Our analysis shows that while every £1 invested in these services results in the economy as a whole getting £14 back in gross value added (GVA).

“GPs will now face a dilemma as they balance the impact of service cuts, alongside their attempts to ensure primary care can be put on sustainable footing for the future.

"The NHS has seen progress is possible, with pay deals finally agreed for hospital consultants, Agenda for Change staff, and hopefully SAS doctors, as well as independent mediation being planned to resolve the dispute with junior doctors. We now need the government to do everything it can to reach an agreement with GPs so that primary care and broader NHS services are not disrupted.

“Alongside this, we need an incoming government to commit to support primary care more substantially, including through additional multi-year investment and by building a strong primary care infrastructure at scale which can offer a greater range of services for patients and provide a more efficient use of limited resource.”