Collective Action For GP Partners - Northern Ireland
General practice in Northern Ireland is facing unsustainable pressure. Following the imposition of a new GP contract without agreement, the BMA’s Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee (NIGPC) has led a coordinated campaign of collective action. With the backing of over 98% of GP partners, practices are now implementing safe, contractually compliant measures to reduce unfunded workload and protect patient safety. This page provides guidance, updates, & resources to support you throughout the action. The NILMCs are working closely with NIGPC and the BMA to ensure all GPs are informed, supported, and represented.
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Collective Action Options
Practices can choose from the following actions as part of NIGPC-led collective action. These are not mandatory but are contractually compliant and legally vetted.
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Limit daily patient consultations per clinician to the UEMO recommended safe maximum of 25.
Consider 15-minute appointments.
Use one afternoon per week for in-hours clinical admin, governance, and education (with urgent cover in place).
Redirect excess demand to:
GP out-of-hours
A&E
Phone First
Urgent care centres
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
Consider signposting to self-referral AHP services where appropriate.
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Cease non-contractual activities that are voluntary and/or completely unfunded.
(e.g. ECGs, medications for hospital tests, complex dressings, PSA monitoring, urgent scripts for secondary care)Professional obligations may require appropriate notice, especially where services have been provided long-term without funding.
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The following work should no longer be undertaken unless contractually resourced:
Pre/post-operative care linked to waiting list initiatives
Bloods or tests for secondary care (e.g. PSA, MGUS)
Non-emergency ambulance ordering (e.g. for outpatient attendance)
Fit notes for patients under Trust care
Urgent scripts for psychiatric or other secondary care services
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Switch off medicines optimisation software via EMIS, as it’s not contractually required and can interfere with safe prescribing.
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Cease completion of unfunded paperwork, especially:
Registration entitlement verification
Letters to support housing, benefits, education, immigration
Any letters not contractually required or clinically essential
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Use BMA-provided template letters to:
Notify patients and agencies of service changes
Refuse inappropriate workload transfer from secondary care
Respond to prescribing or follow-up requests
Insist on clinically appropriate specialist referrals
If referrals are downgraded without GP agreement, GPs should re-refer and request the Trust communicates directly with the patient.
Last updated: 1st August 2025, 18:12
Guidance & Resources
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GUIDANCE - BMA Guidance on Collective Action
For full details on the collective action agreed by NIGPC, including legal advice, safe workload limits, & practical steps for implementation, visit the BMA’s official guidance.
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GUIDANCE - BMA Safe Working
This guide from NIGPC (BMA Northern Ireland) outlines how GP practices can manage workload safely and legally under the GMS contract. It provides clear recommendations on appointment limits, patient access, secondary care work transfer, and list management. Practices can use this to assess their capacity and take protective steps when demand exceeds safe limits.
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POSTERS - Patient Facing
BMA have produced posters and social media graphics for practices to use for highlighting the pressures on general practice & the reasons for collective action.
Template Letters
