Support shown for GPs after first strike date for 37 years

6:31pm Thursday 21st June 2012 in News By Scott D'Arcy

Andrew Lansley Andrew Lansley

DISRUPTION to patients in the town was said to be mininal as doctors staged a protest against Government reforms to their pensions.

Today, doctors up and down the country participated in their first day of action for 37 years in protest over plans to increase contributions and make them work longer.

Nationally, one in 10 patients have had their operations, outpatient appointments or treatments rescheduled due to the British Medical Association's (BMA) industrial action, national figures suggested, while a quarter of GP surgeries were operating a reduced service according to the Department of Health.

Dr Peter Swinyard, a senior partner at the Phoenix Surgery in Toothill and also chairman of the Family Doctor Association, said many of his patients who had appointments today had been supportive of the industrial action.

He said: “I think it’s an anathema for doctors to do anything like industrial action so it is a sign of how incredibly upset we are by the behaviour of the Government.

“If the idea was to draw the public’s attention to the unfair way doctors are being singled out then it has done it’s job.

“No patients have been harmed in the making of this industiral action and there were more doctors on than an average bank holiday.

“A lot of people have been damaged with their pensions and one can anticipate a lack of sympathy but from what I’ve heard and seen people have been remarkably understanding of our position.”

NHS Swindon said it had worked with local GPs to ensure that disruption was kept to a minimum.

Debra Elliott, Director of Commissioning Development for NHS Swindon, said: “Patient care will always be our top priority, and we want to assure the public that we worked closely with the GPs in the county, and with the local hospitals, to ensure medical cover was available for our patients.”

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “In the run-up to these strikes our objective has been to minimise disruption for patients. We asked doctors to recognise that their quarrel was not with patients but with the Government. I am pleased that a significant majority of doctors have done just that and maintained services for their patients.

“It is extremely regrettable if any patients have suffered unnecessarily.”

Comments(17)

Worked Hard says...
6:50pm Thu 21 Jun 12

They should be ashamed of themseleves.....

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Localboy86 says...
7:40pm Thu 21 Jun 12

Worked Hard wrote:
They should be ashamed of themseleves.....
Agreed

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beaulieu says...
8:14pm Thu 21 Jun 12

Adver ....it's NOT a strike but a work to rule...but I guess 'work to rule' doesn't sound sensationalist enough does it ?

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beaulieu says...
8:32pm Thu 21 Jun 12

Adver ....it's NOT a strike but a work to rule...but I guess 'work to rule' doesn't sound sensationalist enough does it ?

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beaulieu says...
8:33pm Thu 21 Jun 12

oops

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Jane_Doe says...
10:09pm Thu 21 Jun 12

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=Dl1jPqqTd
No

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A.Baron-Cohen says...
8:28am Fri 22 Jun 12

They retire on £50k/year + get £140k golden goodbye, 80% of this paid by you and me.

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I 2 Could B says...
8:47am Fri 22 Jun 12

'Support'? Hmm, I don't think so. Even many GPs don't support what their greedy colleagues did.

The public have zero sympathy for people who are already paid 5 times the national average salary and who receive a pension worth £1000 per week.

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Even Angrier Monkey says...
10:09am Fri 22 Jun 12

No support from me either

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RichardR1 says...
10:32am Fri 22 Jun 12

Patients have little choice than to accept an appointment is cancelled that doesn't mean they are supportive.

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swindondad says...
11:02am Fri 22 Jun 12

Localboy86 wrote:
Worked Hard wrote: They should be ashamed of themseleves.....
Agreed
+1 more on that.

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Jane_Doe says...
1:30pm Fri 22 Jun 12

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=Dl1jPqqTd
No

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Hangbrownhigh says...
4:23pm Fri 22 Jun 12

Swinyard is one of my GP's and I am certainly noy supporting them.

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semitonic says...
6:28pm Fri 22 Jun 12

RichardR1 wrote:
Patients have little choice than to accept an appointment is cancelled that doesn't mean they are supportive.
In fairness Rob it doesn't mean they are not supportive either. On a slightly different note though, that's an unusual pseudonym you have chosen this time, does this mean you won't be bragging about yourself any more?

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RichardR1 says...
6:45pm Fri 22 Jun 12

I think you have misread my name. Do I take it you think I am someone else.

I have noted many logins on here but never yours. Perhaps you could tell us who you were before as clearly you have difficulties with names.

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semitonic says...
11:02pm Fri 22 Jun 12

Don't be silly Robfm, Bobfm, Robertfm, daniel10 etc. etc. - it was blatantly obvious from your first few posts.

It'll all come out in the wash.

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RichardR1 says...
9:07am Sat 23 Jun 12

'It'll all come out in the wash.'

What will your previous login.

However I have no wish to be party to reducing this forum to the level it descended a short while back, so you can assume what you wish.

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