19 July 2002
British Medical Association GPs' leader John Chisholm, unveiling the result of the ballot, said a further vote would be taken once detailed negotiations on the funding of the contract had been concluded.
The doctors' union and the government have been wrangling over the deal for more than a year since GPs threatened to walk out of the NHS. Question marks will hang over the contract until the autumn.
The proposed contract would reduce GPs' workload. Measures include less paperwork and more consultation time with patients.
GP responsibilities will be passed to other health care professionals, such as pharmacists and practice nurses.
However, Chisholm insisted GPs would reject the deal if it was not adequately funded. 'The government has to price the contract so that enough resources are fed into primary care to make a real difference to the current recruitment and retention crisis,' he said.
'If the money isn't there, primary care will crumble and general practice, which is the backbone of the NHS, will collapse.'
PFjul2002
