In a recent display of candid communication, Wes Streeting voiced his frustration with the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ union. During my tenure as Health Secretary, I encountered similar challenges with the BMA. Back in 2008, under the previous Labour administration, we aimed to enhance access to GP services by reducing NHS waiting times from an average of two years to just eight weeks and achieving record-high public satisfaction with hospital care.
Certain forward-thinking medical practices had already begun opening on Saturdays to accommodate patients who worked during weekdays and parents who preferred not to disrupt their child’s school schedule for a doctor’s visit. Our plan was to expand Saturday operating hours for more GP surgeries, but we faced strong opposition from the BMA.
Wes Streeting is currently advocating for online appointment booking to enhance the patient experience, a measure that should be commonplace in 2025. However, this initiative is encountering significant resistance from established institutions.
Meanwhile, the BMA has declared a series of strikes by resident doctors leading up to the holiday season. These doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are scheduled to strike for five days from December 17th to December 22nd.
As a former trade union leader, I strongly believe in not putting union members in unwinnable disputes. While the public generally respects the medical profession, the sentiment towards their professional body, the BMA, is less favorable. Public opinion polls indicate opposition to the upcoming strike, especially considering the substantial pay raise received last year and a generous inflation-adjusted wage offer currently on the table. The disruptive strike action, driven by a demanding 26% pay increase, threatens the ongoing recovery of the health service.
Unlike other healthcare unions that have accepted recommendations from an independent pay review body, fully supported by the government, the BMA remains uncompromising. The government has offered discussions on non-pay related issues like improving working conditions and expanding training, but these offers have been fruitless. The BMA’s insistence on the substantial pay raise could undermine the progress of the health service, which has been steadily improving. This stance by the BMA, which historically opposed the establishment of the NHS, is impeding its advancement in the 21st century.
The policy of limiting benefits to two children per family has always been contentious. Why penalize children for circumstances beyond their control, such as changes in family structure due to divorce, abandonment, or death of a parent? Removing the two-child limit starting next April, as part of a comprehensive child poverty strategy, will positively impact the lives of many young individuals.
In recent data, net migration figures have decreased significantly, dropping by 75% from its peak two years ago. This decrease brings the net migration numbers closer to those observed during the final year of the previous Labour government. Despite the Conservative party’s pledge to reduce net migration to tens of thousands, the numbers rose substantially before declining under the current Labour government.
The decision at the chaotic inaugural conference of Your Party to have collective leadership by a panel of members rather than a single figure has raised concerns. As GK Chesterton once said, there are no statues honoring committees. Given the choice between Corbyn and Sultana, opting for a panel might seem more appealing.
