The BMA is urging doctors to participate in an upcoming extraordinary meeting to consider and respond to the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for the NHS.
The association is set to hold a special representative meeting on Sunday 14 September as part of its response to proposals put forward by the Government in its 10 Year Health Plan, which it says poses potential risks to the medical profession and to patients.
The plan, which centres around three large-scale ‘shifts’ in the structure and delivery of healthcare, was published by the Department of Health following the BMA annual representative meeting in June.
Calls for a SRM were made earlier this month following a meeting of BMA council, with association representative body chair Amit Kochhar having outlined the necessity of a meeting in a recent communication to members.
He said: ‘Given the significant impact of the 10-year health plan and our need to influence the forthcoming NHS workforce plan at the end of October 2025 ... a SRM has been called at short notice.
KOCHHAR: Take part in the debate
‘I would urge all members who can to take the opportunity to listen in to the debate on Sunday 14 September and participate fully in the SRM.’
Under the proposals, the Government has said that it intends to implement fundamental reform to the health service over the next decade.
These proposals include measures to shift the NHS’s model of care from a responsive to preventive model, delivering more care in communities rather than in hospitals and significantly enhancing the role of AI and other digital technologies in delivering healthcare.
While health secretary Wes Streeting has stated that he is adamant that the reforms would have the ‘fingerprints’ of NHS staff all over them, the BMA warned of a lack of detail in parts of the plans.
The association has also expressed concerns with the plan’s failure to address existing and systemic challenges facing the NHS such as underfunding, shortages in staffing and problems with training places and recruitment.
Members wishing to participate in the SRM, which is being staged virtually, can register their interest online.
For more information about the meeting and the BMA’s response to the 10-year plan.