Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, has warned ‘the ability for ordinary GPs to change things' will diminish under the Health and Social Care Bill – despite government statements.

In a letter to all GPs in England, Dr Buckman explained GPs serving on clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) would not be able to influence key health services, as these units were forced to become larger and more remote in order to gain NHS approval.