{"id":12795,"date":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scotwork.com\/nz\/blog-nz\/a-strategy-in-need-of-surgery\/"},"modified":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","slug":"a-strategy-in-need-of-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotwork.com\/nz\/blog-nz\/2024\/a-strategy-in-need-of-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"A strategy in need of surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

In the last few weeks, general practitioners (GPs) in the UK have announced what they describe as \u201ccollective action\u201d.\u00a0 For the first time in 60 years, GPs have adopted an approach involving restricting their work to achieve their objective of better pay and funding.\u00a0 This action is at the discretion of individual GP practices and was backed by a huge majority in a ballot.\u00a0 The last government offered them a 1.9% funding increase for this year which the BMA (the doctors\u2019 union) considers inadequate and has now demanded 11%.\u00a0 The new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting has made sympathetic noises and spoken of his desire to build a new partnership with GPs.\u00a0 Streeting has backed a recommended above-inflation 6% pay increase for GPs and their teams \u2013 a 4.1% uplift to GP contract funding on top of the 1.9% rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This dispute is set against the background of the resolution, shortly after the new government came into office, of the junior doctors\u2019 long-running dispute with a 22% unconditional 2-year deal which is yet to be accepted.\u00a0 Also, a two-year dispute with train drivers has recently been the subject of another unconditional 15% three-year offer which is being recommended for acceptance.\u00a0 It could be the case that the GPs reflect on the government\u2019s approach and the recent public sector pay award of just over 5% accompanied by the Chancellor\u2019s statement that it is \u201ccheaper than strikes\u201d and decide that pressure works so why not apply it.<\/p>\n

When you negotiate, your power will emanate from having the ability to inflict damage by doing something your counterparty doesn\u2019t want you to do \u2013 strike or impose restrictions or unfavourable conditions or even end a relationship \u2013 or from your ability to empower both parties to achieve something they want.\u00a0 Right now, I see Streeting as being on the back foot with the GPs \u2013 they are exerting pressure on the NHS and him and his concession to the junior doctors does not serve him well as a tactical precedent.\u00a0 The approach of the GPs is understandable because it has been successful for others.\u00a0 However, with a new government and the virtual certainty that they will be in office for at least the next five years, the Health Secretary has a strategic opportunity.\u00a0 He could paint a long-term vision of an NHS which the GPs would support and he could release funding and pay increases as the vision is achieved within an agreed timescale.\u00a0 That approach may need some financial priming now to get buy-in but if the ultimate objective and the route to it and changes needed are agreed as part of the deal then he has an opportunity to define and build the partnership he has spoken of.\u00a0 Yet more unilateral concessions will, I predict, reinforce the current precedent and lead to yet more pressure and action in the public sector.<\/p>\n

This may be an opportunity to change the dynamic of relationships in the NHS and move from the image of perpetually aggrieved staff, industrial action and budgetary restrictions to a government and staff agreeing a future, knowing what it will cost the parties in terms of finance and working practices and committing to work towards it.\u00a0 Consensus generally can achieve more than conflict \u2013 building a shared vision will be the critical part but let us hope that, with the will to achieve, it can be done.<\/p>\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the last few weeks, general practitioners (GPs) in the UK have announced what they describe as \u201ccollective action\u201d.\u00a0 For the first time in 60 years, GPs have adopted an approach involving restricting their work to achieve their objective of better pay and funding.\u00a0 This action is at the discretion of individual GP practices and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":12796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_legacy_url":"blog-nz\/2024\/a-strategy-in-need-of-surgery\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA strategy in need of surgery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"World leaders in business negotiation training and consultancy with experts across 120 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