Jeremy Hunt’s criticism of BMA “insulting and inflammatory”

Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

“Doctors are here for the public every minute, every hour, and every day of the year”, she said.

The dispute between doctors’ trade union the British Medical Association and health secretary Jeremy Hunt revolved around pay and working conditions stipulated in a new contract which could be enforced upon staff – but doctors are also concerned that training could be reduced and patient safety put at risk.

A new survey ahead of the walkout suggested nine in 10 junior doctors could quit if the current contract terms were imposed.

It is the second day of industrial action taken by junior doctors, following a previous 24-hour walkout in January.

“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'”.

A LEADING town medic believes Jeremy Hunt will be replaced as health secretary, as junior doctors plan a further day of strike action tomorrow.

The main discussion point is around payments for working on Saturdays.

“Our door remains open: we want to reach a negotiated agreement, but the Government must be reasonable and work with the BMA to reach a fair resolution to this dispute”.

BMA junior doctors’ committee chair Johann Malawana said: “Last weekend, thousands of us took to the streets of London and Bristol to show that our fight for a properly negotiated contract continues”.

The Government is planning to roll out free wi-fi in all NHS buildings and is developing a new click and collect service for prescriptions.

The poll, for the Health Service Journal, also found that 64 per cent think the government is more to blame for prolonging the dispute than junior doctors.

Dr Calderwood said: “I am delighted to be involved in this drive to encourage more junior doctors to consider the opportunities Scotland provides for their future careers”.

“If this happens, our plan will be to give all postponed patients new appointments as soon as practicably possible and we would apologise to any patients who are affected”.

He said: “I’ve seen it where they’ll be individual negotiations with a doctor or nurse; “I want X for a shift, ‘ ‘No I want X plus Y now” and ‘I’ve just been offered Z next door'”.

In November 2015, over three quarters of junior doctors voted in favour of industrial action; consequently, it scheduled a twenty-four hour strike from the 12th to the 13th of January.

It aims to have at least 10% of patients accessing GP services online and through apps by March 2017, and rivals Google, Apple and Microsoft will team up with the NHS to ensure the apps are fully supported across mobile platforms.