Thousands of junior doctors walk out in contract dispute

Junior doctors across Sussex have joined picket lines for the second time – in protest over pay and conditions.

The junior doctors made a decision to strike again after talks between the British Medical Association and health secretary Jeremy Hunt broke down.

Junior doctors will only provide emergency care until 8am tomorrow. At least 2,884 non-urgent operations have been cancelled, as well as an unknown number of consultations at outpatient clinics.

Kevin Hardy, executive medical director at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said they were working with consultants, nurses and other clinical staff to ensure that patients received appropriate care.

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”.

Alex Jones, a junior doctor in the Intensive Care and Anaesthetics department at Musgrove, was one of those striking.

The union argued it would have been cost neutral, meaning the Government would not pay any more than the £5bn now spent on junior doctor salaries.

We asked 200 people for their view and 143 backed the medics, with 33 criticising them.

“I would like to thank our staff for their hard work during this time and thank the Junior Doctors for the way they have reacted to this national dispute”.

Following the walk-out, health secretary Jeremy Hunt called a meeting with BMA chiefs, but after being unable to come to an agreement the strikes were rescheduled.

However, junior medics have refused to accept Mr Hunt’s proposal to change what constitutes unsociable hours, which would mean Saturday largely being classed as a normal working day.

“Unprecedented frontline pressure combined with the anger and frustration about the government’s plan to impose an unfair contract, risks many junior doctors voting with their feet”.

The return of contract changes is part of the Conservative government’s new initiative to establish a “truly seven-day NHS”.

Under the plans, the Government wants to introduce new contracts for junior doctors in what it say will help secure a 24/7 NHS.

NHE understands that yesterday last-ditch talks were held between the BMA and NHS Employers in an attempt to avert the strike.

In the most recent Ipsos MORI poll, carried out in conjunction with the Health Services Journal, 64 percent of people believe “the government is more at fault for the dispute lasting this long”, while just 13 percent felt doctors were more to blame.

In this context, if the government persists in trying to impose their new contract, they will alienate a whole generation of young doctors.