Doctors have angrily dismissed a Government proposal for them to write prescriptions to give discounts to people struggling to pay their energy bills during the cost-of-living crisis.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said they “completely reject” the policy drawn up in the Treasury, arguing the addition to GPs’ already huge workload would be “totally unacceptable”.
Labour accused the Conservatives of having “lost the plot” as the proposal was being considered by ministers seeking ideas to ease the pain of soaring energy bills.
Whitehall sources confirmed the proposal was “definitely of interest” and being considered after it was first reported by the Sun on Sunday.
Dr David Wrigley, BMA England’s GP committee deputy chair, said: “At a time when GPs are already overwhelmed with the greatest workforce crisis and longest waiting lists in memory, this addition to their workload is totally unacceptable.
“It beggars belief that Government ministers think it is appropriate to suggest GPs undertake this work.
“In these next few months GPs already have to worry about delivering the Covid and flu vaccination programmes that will be necessary to see the NHS through the winter, on top of their daily crushing workload and the enormous Covid backlog we now see.
“They do not have the time or the skills to do the work of the welfare system.
“The Government has not discussed this with us in any form – floating these sorts of proposals via the media is deeply unprofessional.
“We completely reject any suggestion that GPs do this work.”
I want to reassure the British people that help is coming— Kwasi Kwarteng
It was understood the BMA would fight the policy if ministers did try to introduce it, though that is considered unlikely.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “The Conservatives have lost the plot on the cost-of-living crisis and haven’t got a clue about the level of pressure on the NHS.”
Reiterating Labour’s plan to freeze prices this winter, he added: “Labour already has the right prescription for dealing with rising energy bills.”
A Government official said the policy would “take a lot more work” but was “something to consider” as all ideas remain on the table.
On Friday, Ofgem is expected to hike the cap on energy bills from £1,971 to around £3,600 and analysts have forecast that they could hit £6,000 a year in April.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, a close ally of Liz Truss who is tipped to be her chancellor if she wins the Tory leadership race, insisted there would be fresh support this winter as energy bills soar.
“I understand the deep anxiety this is causing. As winter approaches, millions of families will be concerned about how they are going to make ends meet,” he wrote in the Mail+.
“But I want to reassure the British people that help is coming.”
Unless they change course and adopt Labour’s plan, pensioners will go cold, bills will stay high, and we will have to import more gas from Putin and his cronies— Ed Miliband, shadow climate change secretary
He said Ms Truss “will look at what more can be done to help families” but insisted it is “entirely reasonable not to detail the exact shape of that support until she has all the information to hand”.
Meanwhile, shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband urged Ms Truss and rival Rishi Sunak to back Labour’s plan to insulate UK housing to shave billions of pounds off energy bills.
He said failing to back the “national mission” would leave pensioners going cold, bills staying high and Russian gas purchases continuing.
Labour says the “warm homes plan” would save an average of £1,000 per home and would save £11.4 billion in three years if 1.9 million homes were insulated a year.
“Both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss bear responsibility for the Conservatives’ failures on this vital national agenda. Unless they change course and adopt Labour’s plan, pensioners will go cold, bills will stay high, and we will have to import more gas from Putin and his cronies,” Mr Miliband said.
