GPs want core services defined

British general practitioners have overwhelmingly supported the principle of core services and instructed their leaders to negotiate a new contract “based on an acceptable definition.” A special conference of representatives of local medical committees last week called for the contract to be nationally negotiated and based on individual practitioners.

The conference disagreed that finding a definition was the most important priority for the next 12 months but voted by 160 votes to 102 that out of hours work should remain a core service.

The 1995 conference had asked for the core element to be defined (BMJ 1995;311:131), and earlier this year the General Medical Services …