Jeremy Hunt urges junior doctors to negotiate after ‘unnecessary’ strike

NHS England have estimated around 10,000 junior doctors had reported for duty out of 26,000 scheduled to work during the day, causing thousands of routine operations to be cancelled, and many outpatient appointments to be rescheduled.

Junior doctors in state-run National Health Service hospitals in England will resume talks Thursday to avert further strikes over a new contract changing the way they’re paid and reducing compensation for evening and weekend work.

The BMA said that, after agreeing to postpone industrial action, progress in talks had been slow and issues surrounding pay and working hours are unresolved.

It says the new contract will be better for patients because it removes the existing incentive for doctors to work “unsafe” hours.

Talks between the BMA and NHS bosses are continuing, with issues including weekend pay and the need for appropriate safeguards in place to stop doctors over-working. “We want to settle this but it was a very unnecessary strike”. There will be a 48-hour stoppage and the provision of emergency care only from 8am on January 26.

Winchester’s Junior Doctors have told Winchester Today that they stand firm on industrial action, and have no regrets on walking out on 24-hour strike.

The BMA said doctors in Sandwell should continue to strike until further notice.

Nick Hulme, chief executive of Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, said junior doctors’ views of the situation were being “skewed” by “misinformation” about the dispute on social media.

If the junior doctors do withdraw emergency medical care they will risk losing a huge amount of public support.

“It makes sense to everyone really if you have got well-rested doctors working sensible shifts”.

In the striking doctors’ absence, Whipps Cross is being left with consultant and emergency cover similar to that given to patients on weekends.

Winchester’s MP Steve Brine says his view remains the same: “It’s extremely disappointing that the BMA has chosen to take industrial action, which helps no-one”.

The basis for the current round of negotiations is the Government’s offer from early November, including an 11% rise in basic pay for junior doctors.

Junior doctors held a protest in Exeter city centre today as they joined the first strike in the history of the NHS.

“We will be working longer and longer hours and that is when mistakes happen”.