BMA: Funding cuts threaten the future of GP practices

The British Medical Association (BMA) has once again urged the government to bring an end to funding cuts that threaten the future of a number of GP practices.

A motion passed at the BMA annual conference saw doctors call for a reversal of the decision to begin phasing out the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG) until a clear picture of how practices will be affected is known.

NHS England has warned that hundreds of practices across the UK could be affected, with 98 at genuine risk of closure. Moreover, the BMA believes that previous promises that these practices would be protected have not been upheld.

According to the BMA, practices that serve rural communities, deprived inner city areas or universities with large, transient populations are at greatest risk, with up to 12 practices facing potential closure in the east end of London alone.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA's GP committee, said: "The government urgently needs to take steps to help GPs or there is a great chance that we will see vital services disappear in areas that desperately need access to high-quality care."

This comes after the association last month launched Your GP Cares, a campaign to put pressure on the government to devise a long-term, sustainable investment strategy for general practice.