Full story at GP Online 17th January 2018

The BMA's top GP has warned that GPs should stand up against any attempts to 'strongarm' them into suspending practice contracts to join accountable care models being rolled out in the NHS.

GPC chair Dr Richard Vautrey said that it is 'central' to the BMA view that practices should not give up their contracts to integrate with emerging accountable care models. He added that it was 'absolutely explicit' that creating accountable care organisations alongside existing competitive tendering regulations carried a 'risk of widescale privatisation' of NHS services.

Dr Vautrey said that although some contracts integrate with new care models, GP practices should keep their contracts in place. He added that not doing so would 'put your future livelihood or your successors’ future livelihoods at risk of potentially being run by some sort of multinational health body'.