Renegotiate GP Contract = New Contract - Right ?

Welsh GPs Shrinking Share of NHS Budget


Graham Henry of Western Mail fame reports ( January 23th 2014 ) that the GP's share of the NHS budget has dropped from 10.27% in 2005/6 to 7.87% in 2012/3.  Conservative A.M. Mohammad Asghar called for the Minister to take "urgent action", and the General Practitioners Commission said that they were "deeply concerned" over the figures.  Dr Charllotte Jones, Chair, said that these reductions had taken place against a background of "increased complexity and demand for work".
Incredibly she went on to say that this had included "significant amounts of work being moved from secondary to primary care". [ SAY WHAT ? ]


My last post quoted the Minister saying that the GP contract was "going to be renegotiated".  Well then, how the blazes did the old contract have all this extra work added, without a corresponding increase in GP's funding ?  There appears to be a heck of difference between 'renegotiation' and changing an agreed contract without the corresponding contractual agreement having been made.


So, I ask - Why did the GP's and their General Practitioners Committee, allow these changes to become a fait accompli ? and, Where is the evidence of any renegotiation having been agreed, in the form of a new contract. ?


Now I and Magpie have nothing but admiration for the GP's, although we both feel that the last contract paid the GP's a whopping rise that was excessive ( to put it mildly ).  However, that was what was agreed, in the form of a legally binding contract.  In light of this, it's hard to believe that these GP's and their General Practitioners Committee were dull enough to accept changes to the contract without a new one being agreed.  So.....wha hoppend ?  Is this what the Minister calls 'renegotiation', or is he now saying that the result of all the extra work being moved from Secondary to Primary care has already been agreed ?  If so, where are the additional resources and where is the new contract ?????


In my opinion, the Minister appears to be rewriting history in the manner that has become the typical action of our Welsh government.  I do not consider this to be equitable in any way - do you ?    R.  W.