The BMA today (Wednesday 15 October 2008) said new figures showing the earnings of GP partners dropped during 2006/2007 are no surprise.

Figures from the NHS Information Centre show non-dispensing GP partners who are on the national GP contract (GMS), and who make up the majority of GPs, earned an average of £99,580 in 2006/071, a decrease of 3% since 2005/6.

In 2007 - 2008 practices received no increase in resources and this year the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body recommended an award which equated to a further real terms cut in resources for most practices.

Commenting on today's earnings figures Dr Richard Vautrey, Deputy Chairman of the BMA's GP Committee, said:

"The 3% fall in earnings for GPs working under the new GP contract is the first of what we predict will be three successive years of falling income for GPs and their practices. This combined with rapidly rising practice expenses, including making sure staff get the pay rises they deserve, means practices are unable to plan for the future with confidence, in particular by investing in new services to better meet the needs of their patients.

"GPs are working harder and more intensively and many GPs feel they have been unfairly penalised in recent years for providing high quality care to their patients. Successive freezes on practice resources risks returning to the days of low GP morale, which would undo one of the main reasons the new contract was agreed by government - to make general practice a more attractive career choice for young doctors."

Approximately 85% of GPs are non-dispensing. Approximately 65% of GPs are on nationally agreed GMS contracts. PMS contracts are agreed locally between practices and local Primary Care Organisations. Average earnings for PMS and GMS non-dispensing GPs combined dipped to £104,093 during 2006 - 2007. GMS GPs have traditionally earned less than those on PMS contracts which are negotiated locally.

The income of dispensing GPs is higher because partners in a dispensing practice are effectively running two separate, but interconnected services.

For a briefing on the different components of GP partner pay please click here.

British Medical Association