LEADER: GPs left to lag behind consultants' contract.

There is a stereotype perpetuated in television dramas and novels. Surgeons are heroic and glamorous while GPs live somewhat mundane lives and wear rather shabby tweed jackets. It is not surprising that this thinking should find its way into the public mind or even that of the government, but the BMA should not be seen to act in any way to reinforce this impression.

However, this is exactly the impression given following the announcement of the consultants' contract. By producing a priced contract that sets out limits on core workload, with extra money for extra sessions or on-call work, the BMA has managed to suggest that consultants' time is more valuable than that …