By Anna Moloney
The British Medical Association (BMA) has today hit back at Rishi Sunak’s pledge to issue £10 fines to patients for missed GP appointments.
The trade association said charging patients was not the answer to tackling the NHS backlog, and that it is “terribly disappointing that the candidates standing to be the next prime minister seem to have so little understanding of the reality facing our NHS”.
The outrage comes in response to an interview Sunak gave the Telegraph, which was published on Saturday, in which he discussed a “transformative” shake-up of the NHS and plans to try and clear the Covid-19 backlog of more than six million patients waiting for planned care.
Sunak said it was “not right” that patients were failing to turn up to consultations, scans and check-ups, taking slots away from those who needed them and pledged to introduce a £10 fine for second time and subsequent missed appointments.
Dr Philip Banfield, BMA council chair, said: “Charging patients for missed appointments would not only undermine the essential trust between doctor and patient, but ultimately threaten the fundamental principle that the NHS delivers free care at the point of need, for all.”
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