General practitioner (GP) chiefs in England have rejected the government's proposed changes to their contract. They say it is unrealistic and dangerous to require all clinically urgent requests to be dealt with on the same day. The BMA England GP Committee (GPC England) voted to reject the deal after a meeting on 26 February. The union will hold a referendum on all GPs and registrars in England from 1 April. The BMA is already in a formal dispute with the government over last year's contract changes which force it to keep online consultations open between 8am and 6.30pm. In a referendum from March 4 to March 25, GPC England members will be asked whether they accept the proposed changes for 2026-27 or whether they want direct negotiations with the government.