I shall now bore you all by repeating my simple belief that we were lost 
the day CHisholm was snapped having a big laugh with Milburn. Nothing 
has happened since to disprove that belief and not even I, with my 
semi-detached attitude to NHS GP, expected the current level of 
unreasonableness bordering on arrogance displayed by DoH over the 
extended hours thing.
There are only two options. One is to take a stand as M. Leuty suggests. 
The GPC will say, as they and their predecessors have done since 1990, 
that there is not enough support for this in the profession. Yet if you 
look back at the agreement which ushered in the last golden age, it was 
made possible by undated resignations (meaning that nothing really good 
is wrung from HMG without squaring up to the bastards and showing them 
where the power _really_ lies)  and I think most of you will agree that 
there was very definite leadership displayed back then.

The other option is to struggle on as we have been doing since 1990, 
with our negotiators doing what they think is right for us and will 
attract most support in the profession and will have some chance of 
being agreed. The result of this approach is a constant running battle, 
not just with DoH but with various factions in the DoH and the lower 
tiers, also as we see recently with senior politicians who use us for 
their own ends. Brian Dunn, chair of GPC NI, is a decent fellow who 
sends us a two page summary of GPC NI activities from time to time and 
despite my age and cynical nature I am often shocked at the sort of 
stuff GPC has to fight for. And this is NI which is smaller and not yet 
cursed with politicians with massively different ideologies on the 
health service.

I too would love to see Dr Buckman et al doing the modern version of Aux 
Armes Citoyens. It would be offensive to say that, at this stage, the 
only thing he and his GPC colleagues stand to lose by being leaders is 
their chance of a few gongs later so I won't say it. But some will think it.

I ask only one question in closing----is this how billion pound deals 
are negotiated with the private sector? Even, closer to home, does the 
pharma industry in the UK get treated this way when they meet to discuss 
profit margins?

Declan





<<This is probably hopelessly naïve, stupid, counterproductive and so
on. That's why I'm a rank and file GP and not a politician. But you
did ask.>>