I have a great idea, offer them a new contract , but deduct 6% of their basic, tell them they can earn more if they work really hard( but assume they can't). If you are right, claim it as your great idea to "rationalise" the system .If it fails blame them that they are too lazy and gready.

phil, manchester,

Dear JP...You can tell you're living in the clouds.

There is no problem in earning, if you work for your money. But quite frankly, these guys dont. And there are many other careers which require the same amount of training and dedication, but just dont pay.

Oh, and another thing, I live part of the year in Spain. Spanish GPs dont get anything like the salaries Uk GPs get, and I guarantee you, they are better trained and equally devoted!

simon wade, Newcastle, UK

If a slightly smaller rise had been given more doctors could have been employed which, would have meant better service and less work load for the doctors.
Such a shame for a missed opportunity to improve things for all
concerned.
These contracts could and should have been for a trial period.
After all we all need medical support at sometime in our lives.

John Caspall, Portsmouth, UK

Don't get sick on a weekend. Inform all infecting microbes and toxins to come back next Monday

John, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

Rose, Farnborough, the 5 x GPs at my surgery are only available for a maximum of 4 mornings a week (0900 - 1300), 1 afternoon a week (1300 - 1600) and 1 evening (they call it ) (1600 - 1730) a week with no call outs, no Saturday surgery and generally one or more of the 5 are on holiday, often abroad, at any one time. Frankly any and all politicians need to get off their fat backsides and see what people have to do on the minimum wage of £11,500 per annum, and the general conditions in some companies, really see what our servicemen and women do for their £13,000 - £18,000 a year, see what many people have to do in industry and commerce on a production line for their wages. And, PCSOs by the way are paid less than Policemen and women, it is called policing on the cheap! However, I agree that targets and statistics are a farce as is the paperwork associated with any form of performance-related pay because many people fill it in themselves and cannot but fail to meet targets.

Kenneth, Suffolk, England

By the way Rose (Farnborough) ...I think Browns time would be far better spent in a factory, on a production line with a guy that earns 12.000 pounds a year and does 12 hour days (or nights),......and, of course, as it is a private setor company ....fills in an awful lot of forms to justify that he too meets production targets.

Or better still, you spend a day or night with him, and then you might get an idea of how the other half live!!

simon wade, Newcastle, Uk

I tried to make the case that the new doctors contract was generating pay income of as much as 250,000 per annum for doctors earlier this year but The Times refused to put the comment up on its web site.

If a manager of any private business made such a mess of negotiating a contract, they, (and probably their entire department with them), would have been thrown out on the street. More probably, the private business would have become bankrupt and the cost to the customer, (in this case the taxpayer as someone else has already pointed out), would have immediately stopped. The contract would have closed with the bankrupcy of the business and the whole process would have been taken up by a free competitive business better able to write a contract.

The Department of Health should be closed down immediately and the whole re-formed with new staff. The contract would become moot, thus replicating a bankrupt private business and we could start again using better principles.

Chris Coles, Medstead, Alton, United Kingdom

It didn't 'cost the government' anything but it did 'cost the taxpayer' - when will you get the reporting correct ?
Arthur

Arthur Edwards, Princes Risborough, UK

Why is it such a problem that GP's earn a good salary. The work and commitment involved in qualifying and the ongoing dedication to their profession warrants a retainer of this size.

I'm an Airline Captain, I earn £100k. Being a GP is far more worthwhile....

JP, Herts, UK

now, in a month when gordon got his sums wrong at the bank of england are you saying he got his sums wrong on doctors pay.

michael joseph heavey, cahersiveen>adams towns, madness

GPs and the services they provide are very good value for money. It costs only 20p per patient, per day, to provide all general practice services. Routine appointments have never been available in the evenings or at weekends and if the government wants this then further investment will be required. GPs have effectively had a pay cut over the last 3 years as there has been no increase in contract payments while they have had to fund staff pay rises and other inflationary costs out of their own pockets.

Dr. J.P Taylor, Burnley, UK

I would like Gordon Brown to spend a day and an evening with my husband who is a GP. He would then see the amount of paperwork and form filling designed to meet the government's targets. When will this governement see we are not fooled by statistics they produce with regard to public services - PSCOs for police and unqualified teaching assistants taking the place of teachers. What next?

Rose, Farnborough,

What a joke.....less medical cover.....less work ....higher salaries......you can certainly tell that the doctors in this country are far more inteligent than the politicians!!

But dont worry, I've had a new idea, lets set up a hugely costly review of the sistem (to show were worried) which will undoubtedly improve things beyond our wildest dreams.....(and quick, lets announce it now because the elections are just around the corner and we can trick the voters into voting us in again).......las if we have any decent alternative!!!

simon wade, Newcastle, Uk