Delegates at the BMA’s annual representatives meeting this week turned down calls for the association to ballot GPs on a boycott of involvement in England’s new clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

Despite considerable disquiet in the profession about the ways in which the groups will operate, all-out opposition would eliminate any influence that GPs might have in clinical commissioning and hasten the private sector’s involvement in the NHS, the conference heard.

The groups are set to take over full responsibility for commissioning primary and secondary care services in the NHS in England from April 2015, with the help of commissioning support services, many of which are run by commercial organisations.

Louise Irvine, who represents London GPs on the BMA council, said that the …