News in Brief
BMJ 2011; 342 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d632 (Published 08 February 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;342:d632
GPs petition against cuts in NI
GPs in Northern Ireland are urging patients to sign a petition in support of protecting services delivered by local practices. Some £5m (€6m; $8m) has been lost from general practice funding across Northern Ireland since 1 August 2010, averaging out at £15 000 a practice, says the BMA, which fears that this will prompt a cut in services and jobs and a rise in hospital admissions. Dr Brian Dunn, Chairman of the BMA’s General Practitioner Committee in Northern Ireland, said: “We believe more cuts are coming and so we are asking patients to show their support for general practice by signing a petition, which is available in their GP’s surgery.”
Employers review bank holiday rights for royal wedding
The NHS terms and conditions of service handbook only allows for eight public holidays as a contractual right, and employers in the NHS have asked for a national steer on how to approach the additional public holiday on 29 April, which marks the royal wedding. NHS Employers has proposed that staff required to work on 29 April 2011 would be paid at plain time rates with a day off in lieu; other staff would be entitled to a day’s paid leave. Staff would not be entitled to enhanced rates of pay for working the day. The unions are now consulting on the proposals. If rejected, it will fall to employing organisations to decide their own arrangements locally, says NHS Employers.