British junior doctors urged to suspend planned strike

Alternatively come and meet the junior doctors in town.

Daniel Bunce, a junior doctor in diabetes and endocrinology at Derriford Hospital, said there is “no option” left but to strike.

More than 1,400 inpatient operations and procedures have been cancelled as a result of the junior doctors’ strike, NHS England said.

Patients who have not been contacted to be told their appointment is cancelled are advised to go to the hospital as scheduled.

NHS England urged people to contact their GP, seek advice from their local pharmacist, call NHS 111 or consult the NHS Choices website, if possible.

Talks aimed at resolving a dispute over a new contract failed on Friday, meaning a 24-hour strike will go ahead from 8am on Tuesday.

Doctors’ leaders are also planning a 48-hour stoppage and the provision of emergency care only from 8am on January 26.

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that patients lives may be put at risk when junior doctors stage a walkout.

He added: “I hope that Jeremy Hunt realises the need to come to an agreement very quickly”.

In 2012 the Government asked the BMA to look into negotiating a new contract for junior doctors but after two years, negotiations stalled because it was claimed the contract on offer would not have provided sufficient safeguards for junior doctors and their patients.

Among contract changes being proposed by the government is changes to the number of hours during the working week that are classed as unsociable and, therefore, are paid at a higher rate. Yet the government has chosen to inflict another £22billion of efficiency savings by 2020, whilst simultaneously trying to force through their undeliverable pie-in-the-sky manifesto pledge of a “seven-day NHS”, where they expect more elective care to be done at weekends.

Bedford Hospital chief operating officer Karen Ward said: “We have tried and tested plans to deal with a range of disruptions, including industrial action, and over the last week we have been working closely with our commissioners and other partners to refine our contingency plans in order to minimise disruption to our services, whilst protecting the safety and welfare of our patients”. “But we also have to be honest that hospitals are stretched at the moment, There are some hospitals that have large numbers of vacancies”.

The government had drawn up plans to change the junior doctors’ contract in 2012 but talks with the BMA originally broke down a year ago.

Junior doctors will strike on Teesside for 24 hours from tomorrow morning. However, the government insists that hospital trusts make this appointment without input from the BMA, which doctors fear will lead to a conflict of interest where guardian’s true agenda could be to help overstretched hospital trusts to cut costs, rather than end the unsafe practice.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT stands in full support of our junior doctors as they prepare to take industrial action in defence of the basic principle of decent working conditions for NHS staff who work round the clock saving lives”.

In Plymouth young medics are set to form a picket line outside Derriford Hospital, followed by a question and answer session with the public in the city centre.