The Contractual Dispute

The BMA entered a formal contract dispute following the imposition of the 2026/27 GMS contract, which 99% of BMA GP members voted to reject. This follows an escalating dispute that began in October 2025 over un-resourced contractual mandates, safe working capacity, and expanding digital access requirements without system safeguards.

Core Reasons for Action

• Workforce Crisis: General practice is operating in a crisis-level environment where daily patient demand far outstrips safe workforce capacity.
• Unfunded Workload: Un-resourced initiatives and workload are being shifted from secondary care into general practice without matching funding or staff.
• Patient Safety: Current mandates force unlimited digital capacity, which compromises safe clinical navigation and sustainable decision-making.

Immediate Practice Steps

• Data Sharing: Cease signing up to new voluntary Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs) that extract patient records for secondary uses such as commercial research or government planning.
• ICB Audit: Use the BMA template letter to request a full review of existing automated data extractions from your ICB.
• Medicines Software: The national call is to disable non-contractual prescribing optimization tools. However, where software is explicitly mandated as a prerequisite for our Local Enhanced Service (the Enhanced Service Offering), practices cannot turn it off.

For full background data, step-by-step system guides, and to download the official correspondence templates, please use the direct links below:

• BMA GP Campaign Hub & Contract Timeline
• BMA Main Guidance: How to Take Part in Collective Action

Important Legal Context

Local Medical Committees (LMCs) are democratically elected bodies representing all GPs at all levels, but we are not trade unions and do not possess the legal protections of industrial relations legislation (which remains the remit of the BMA).

Based on formal legal advice, Birmingham LMC is fully entitled to support the BMA in preparing for Collective Action and to express solidarity to help general practice achieve contract and policy reform. However, the LMC does not directly organise or call for action beyond the scope specified by the BMA.