BMA warns government control over GP consortiums will be too powerful

Claims that doctors will have real control of the new commissioning consortiums to choose services for patients are fatally undermined by “overly restrictive and controlling” powers held by government, claim doctors’ leaders.

The BMA has raised concerns that under the planned reforms of the NHS, health secretary Andrew Lansley and the NHS Commissioning Board overseeing the GP consortiums will have too much control.

In a new briefing issued on 28 February, the BMA said some of the legislation in its current form went against government pledges to put doctors “in the driving seat” and could prevent them from delivering improvements to patient care.

The briefing A genuine devolution of power? has been timed to raise …