The BMA is urging patients and GP practices in England to get behind a campaign to save general practice by raising the issues they see facing their own surgeries with their local MPs.

In recognition of the frustration patients can feel with access to their GP, the BMA GPs committee for England (GPCE) is urging patients to sign a newly launched change.org petition that calls for more investment in the profession and the hiring of more GPs to deliver vital care.

Separately, GPCE is asking practices to contact their local MP and share their concerns about the current imposed 2026/27 GP contract, calling for action on safety, funding and data, and urging ministers to work with the GPs committee to resolve these issues for the benefit of patients and the future of general practice.

Since May this year, the BMA has been calling on GPs across England to take part in a range of escalating collective actions to protect practices and ensure safe and sustainable care for their patients in the face of an imposed contract.

Following the change in political leadership, GPCE has decided not to escalate collective action this month, giving the newly elected GPCE officer team time to meet the new DHSC ministerial team and seek agreements that reassure the profession and avoids the need for further escalation.

BMA GPs committee chair Dr Clare Bannon said:

“We know that patients are both frustrated and exhausted by the state of general practice. They’ve seen in real time the slow and gradual decline in services, quality of care and the loss of their family doctor. We feel this frustration too. GPs want to be with you from cradle to grave, delivering quality care as your family doctor. Decisions by successive governments have made this impossible for some and difficult for many. While it can’t be fixed overnight, we do think it can be fixed in the medium to longer term.

“This month, we will deliberately not escalate the profession’s collective action, as we want to give the new leadership in Government an opportunity to come to us with an offer that would allow us to pause collective action while we negotiate a deal that supports patients, protects practices and restores General Practice.

“We’ve developed a range of materials, which we will be sending to all practices in England, to help patients understand why their care may feel less personal or why certain services are harder to access than before. They should know that GPs are seeing 13% more patients than in 2015 with hundreds fewer doctors. They should know that general practice has lost over 1,400 practices since 2015 despite the profession delivering 1.5 million appointments every working day. They should also know the pressure the profession is under and why we’re fighting to save it.

“In the spirit of what I said when I was first elected, I want to take a collaborative approach and give the Government an opportunity to right this wrong by working with GPCE. However, I remain ready to ballot the profession and proceed with further action if further unacceptable contract changes are imposed.”

Ends

Notes to editors

The 2026/27 GP contract, rejected by 99% of around 17,000 BMA GP members who voted in the referendum earlier this year, did not address two immediate concerns: the mandated use of Advice and Guidance (A&G) and unlimited patient access to online consultation software. As a result, the BMA launched collective action, beginning with GPs ceasing signing up to voluntary data-sharing agreements on 1 May 2026, switching off non-contractual medicines optimisation software from 1 June 2026, followed by the rejection of new ‘unsafe’ and ‘underfunded’ shared care agreements from 1 July. 

BMA directed collective action will not advise or instruct any practices to breach their contract or obligations as part of their 2026/27 arrangements. However, unless the Government can deliver greater flexibility to reassure the profession, the BMA reserves the right to continue to escalate by introducing further directed practice actions in future months. 

GPCE will be sending posters plus animations for practice screens to all practices in England, as well as making patient leaflets available to order  in different languages. Copies of these posters are available upon request.

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.  

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