GPs in England are threatening to take industrial action in protest at the government’s attempt to force them to see any patient who wants a face-to-face appointment.

The British Medical Association’s GPs committee voted unanimously to reject the plan by the health secretary, Sajid Javid, that included “naming and shaming” surgeries that see too few patients in person.

The doctors’ union said it had decided to hold a ballot on possible industrial action, which could result in family doctors at the 6,600 practices in England reducing the work they undertake.

“GPs have been left with no alternative but to take this action. All efforts to persuade the government to introduce a workable plan that will bring immediate and longer-term improvement,” said Dr Richard Vautrey, the chair of the BMA’s GPs committee.

“The ultimate outcome should be to end the current crisis in general practice, to properly support practices to manage their workload pressure, including safely getting through the backlog of care caused by the pandemic and deliver a safe service to patients, allowing time to create an agreed long-term plan to make general practice sustainable for the future,” he added.

The BMA’s move heralds the first major clash between the medical profession and ministers since the junior doctors’ dispute in England, which involved a series of walkouts by trainee medics in 2015-16.

More details soon…