The Health service journal
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The Labour Party made few policy statements on health before the First World War. Its only election pledge was to oppose compulsory vaccination in 1900. ⋯ Aspects of the NHS came under fire from within the Labour Party soon after 1948. Promises of extra spending in the 1960s and 1970s were inhibited by economic problems.
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GPs are crucial to the success of the government's NHS reforms. But there are few obvious incentives for GPs to act as managers. GPs will be under pressure to economise on prescribing and referrals but will face conflicting demands from patients. Many GPs believe the government will rush them into a salaried service if they do not co-operate with the current reforms.
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The proposed formula for allocating funds to primary care groups using census data raises concerns about equity. The proposed formula is based on health needs, but these are difficult to define at practice level. Research applying the proposed formula to 199 practices showed it was more suitable for PCGs than individual practices.