Junior Doctors press ahead with industrial action

Last Updated: February 1, 2016By

160201huntsolutionThis is the official BMA statement:

Junior doctors in England will take a second day of action after contract talks ended without agreement.

Action will take place from 8am on Wednesday 10 February to 8am on Thursday 11 February, with junior doctors providing only emergency care during this period.

Trusts across England have been informed of this change to the originally planned action, which would have seen the first-ever full walkout with no care provided by junior doctors.

The decision comes after talks between the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health were unable to reach an agreement on the issue of unsocial hours.

Originally planned as a full walk-out, action on 10 February will instead mirror that taken on 12 January with junior doctors providing emergency care only until 8am on 11 February.

 

‘Mounting pressures’

BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said: ‘Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed the involvement of Sir David Dalton in talks about a new junior doctor contract, which recognises the need to protect patient care and doctors’ working lives.

‘His understanding of the realities of a health service buckling under mounting pressures and commitment to reaching a fair agreement has resulted in good progress on a number of issues.

‘It is, therefore, particularly frustrating that the Government is still digging in its heels.’

He added: ‘The Government’s entrenched position in refusing to recognise Saturday working as unsocial hours, together with its continued threat to impose a contract so fiercely resisted by junior doctors across England, leaves us with no alternative but to continue with industrial action.’

 

Public support

Dr Malawana said the BMA had negotiated in good faith with the Government over the past few months but had seen ‘no willingness on their part to move on a core issue for junior doctors’.

‘The Government misrepresents junior doctors as a block to a seven-day NHS, but they already work every day of the week. What we are asking is that this is reflected in fair and affordable recognition of unsocial hours.’

Dr Malawana said the public had shown its support for junior doctors who deeply regret the duisruption which industrial action wil cause.

‘We have changed the form of the industrial action starting on 10 February so as to balance the need to send a clear message to a Government putting politics before patients while minimising disruption, with excellent care continuing to be provided by doctors and other NHS staff on the day,’ he added.

Source: BMA — Junior Doctors Press Ahead With Industrial Action | British Medical Association

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No Comments

  1. joanna February 1, 2016 at 3:11 pm - Reply

    I really hope the BMA will stand firmly behind their doctors!! If anyone is killing the public it is a government who isn’t going to be held accountable!!! What is the point of us having a Queen who has No power or won’t use it if she does!!!

    • Mike Sivier February 1, 2016 at 9:09 pm - Reply

      She is a huge attraction for tourists.

      • joanna February 2, 2016 at 12:18 am - Reply

        Ok so what does that mean to the thousands starving on the streets? or the child who has leukemia and no benefits!! I can’t get angry anymore it is safer for me just to be numb and not feel anything else. There is nothing to look forward to, I can’t even get a voluntary job anymore because everywhere is full of people on workfare still!!

        The only hope I have left is: maybe being successful with the legal action I am taking, but after that I don’t know!

  2. Thomas February 1, 2016 at 6:56 pm - Reply

    The negative thing with medical strikes is that patients get harmed and it makes it that bit easier for the government to justify privatising the NHS.

    • Mike Sivier February 1, 2016 at 7:07 pm - Reply

      How many patients have been harmed so far?
      How many patients were likely to be harmed if they followed Jeremy Hunt’s idiotic advice on child rashes?
      Consider which is more harmful – very carefully.

  3. casalealex February 1, 2016 at 11:18 pm - Reply

    When will we be advised to google how to perform minor operstions?

  4. Dave February 2, 2016 at 11:35 am - Reply

    Being Scottish we are not affected by the action of the Tories insistence on making junior Doctors work 30% longer hours for less pay but I am sure that the vast majority of Scots have solidarity 6and believe in the action being taken by junior Doctors to try and get a fair deal as regards unsocial hours worked . The same tactics were used during Thatchers years in office with nurses and what did we get an NHS that was top heavy wit some managers having a secretary who in turn had two secretary’s.and less nurses on the wards.

    • Mike Sivier February 2, 2016 at 11:40 am - Reply

      Are even Scots who live on the border with England unaffected? If so, they’re lucky, because here in Mid Wales we have a lot of interaction with English district hospitals in, for example, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Telford.

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