BMA Q and A: SRM, funding the NHS and stepping up industrial action

BMA council chair Mark Porter answers your questions  Why is the BMA holding an SRM (special representative meeting) on 3 May and what will it cover? The BMA council has called an SRM in response to the crises in funding and capacity in healthcare and the effect these have on patient care and doctors working to help patients. This will be an opportunity for doctors to highlight their concerns but, importantly, they will be asked to spend the majority of debating time coming up with novel solutions and new avenues to pursue for the benefit of doctors and their patients. It’s only every now and then that an issue is so important as to transcend our normal representative machinery, and council members felt that this was an extraordinary time demanding a particular response.   The association has produced a paper on NHS funding and efficiency — what does it hope to achieve through this? The England Government has decided to spend a lower proportion of national wealth and income on health than most other comparable countries. We hope to show that this is a result not of some unalterable external requirement but of a political choice. So whereas the people have been promised better health services, the realities we experience are cuts, deficits and a soaring demand unmet by proper investment. We aim to expose the reality behind the magical thinking that says the black holes can be filled by efficiency savings. Read more   Why are junior doctors ramp...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news