Dr. Mark Murphy:

I might touch on that quickly and my colleague can touch on GP retention. Let us be clear regarding the contract that ours is a training body for GPs. We are the professional body for GPs in terms of quality, standards, research, education and training. We do not negotiate the contract. We are not a negotiating body. Obviously, we have many thoughts about what should be in the contract. The GMS contract is an acute care contract. It is 30 years old. Health care has changed. I have been qualified for 11 years and health care has changed dramatically. There are secondary prevention drugs for chronic diseases. The management of those chronic diseases was not present when the contract was created. We need a new contract that recognises that chronic disease management takes place and specifies how it takes place. We can feed into the quality and standards but the resources behind that, I am afraid, are a matter the committee will have to ask the negotiating GP union about.