Health bill may have to be withdrawn - doctors,26 May 2011 Last updated at 05:00 GMT

The doctors' union has concerns about the changes

The government's health plans for the NHS in England need changing so much that the entire bill may need to be withdrawn, doctors say.

The British Medical Association called for a series of changes as part of its submission to the listening exercise.
In particular, the union has demanded the duty on the regulator to promote competition be dropped, something other critics have called for.
Nick Clegg and Labour's John Healey are to make speeches about the plans later.
The deputy prime minister's speech is keenly anticipated because he has been outspoken about the need to make significant changes to the proposals in recent weeks.
'Dog-eat-dog' The Lib Dem leader is expected to say that change is needed and he is determined to see the "right reform" introduced.
He will point out that while the NHS has always benefited from a mix of providers, including the private sector and charities, he will not allow the NHS to be "flogged off to the highest bidder".
"People want choice - over their GP, where to give birth, which hospital to use," he will say. "But providing that choice isn't the same as allowing private companies to cherry-pick NHS services.
"It's not the same as turning this treasured public service into a competition-driven, dog-eat-dog market."
Mr Healey, the shadow health secretary, is expected to say that the government has mishandled the NHS in its first year in power, reflecting badly on the prime minister himself.
He will say: "David Cameron is a PR man looking for a PR answer."
Upheaval The attacks come as the government's listening exercise is drawing to a close. This week marks the end of the six-week process, which was launched last month as the government deferred its plans amid mounting criticisms.
During the process - effectively a second consultation after one last autumn - more than 200 events have been held, with ministers promising to use the suggestions put forward to improve the bill.

“Start Quote

The listening exercise is a genuine opportunity to improve our plans, and we look forward to hearing views from all who want to safeguard our NHS for the future”

Department of Health spokeswoman

But the BMA's intervention illustrates just how tricky getting consensus is going to be.

As well as calling for the duty to promote competition to be dropped, the union said timetables needed to be relaxed and duties placed on GP consortia to involve other clinical staff.
There should also be much more stress on collaboration and integration, the BMA added.
BMA chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said: "While change is necessary, this major upheaval is not."
But the government has received more backing from a number of other groups, including Reform, a pro-market think tank, and the NHS Confederation, which represents managers.
Both argued to varying degrees in their submissions that greater competition was needed to improve care.
But the NHS Confederation said the case for the breadth of the reforms "had yet to be clearly made", while the changes were not "sufficiently focused" on the problems facing the NHS, such as the financial squeeze and variation in standards.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said ministers had made it clear "substantive changes" would be made.
"The listening exercise is a genuine opportunity to improve our plans, and we look forward to hearing views from all who want to safeguard our NHS for the future."