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Showing posts from September, 2014

GPs are NOT private companies - and this is why...

‘All you GPs are private providers anyway’ I often have this charge thrown at me when I speak at NHS campaign meetings. Those who level this charge at me are often those arguing in favour of a privatised NHS. They will say that ever since 1948 GPs have been private companies, so not much is changing. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that GPs are self employed and have been since 1948. They often own the GP surgery that they work from and the NHS pays the GPs to allow them to employ the staff, pay for the electricity and lighting in the surgery and take home their own income too. GPs do earn a good income. But the vast majority earn nowhere near the telephone number salaries the Daily Mail talk about. But GPs cannot sell or advertise our surgeries or set up a practice wherever we like.  And GPs stay at their surgery through thick and thin. They invest in a community. Even during the bad times they stay with their patients and ensure their surgery is the b