Confirmation of junior doctors’ strike extremely disappointing, says Jeremy Hunt

Despite trying to work with the government to come up with a deal, according to BBC BMA leader Dr. Mark Porter said the union has no choice but to strike “because the government’s proposals would be bad for patient care as well as junior doctors in the long-term…”

Hospitals across England are bracing themselves for a series of paralysing strikes by junior doctors after Government sources said industrial action is now certain following the breakdown of talks over pay and working hours.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “It is extremely disappointing that negotiations have failed to break the impasse between the Government and the BMA over proposed contracts for junior doctors”.

Under the plans for industrial action, junior doctors will only provide emergency care from 8am on Tuesday 12 January to 8am Wednesday 13 January, and from 8am on Tuesday 26 January to 8am Thursday 28 January.

Another day of action is planned for 10 February during which junior doctors will stop working completely between 8am and 5pm.

More than 37,000 doctors were balloted by the BMA, and 76% took part in the November vote.

Doctors in Bolton were preparing to walk-out last month, but two strikes were called off to allow for more negotiations to take place. We were really hopeful negotiations would be fruitful.

Junior doctors’ leaders say this is as important an issue for them as pay and working hours.

He added that, when talks resume today, “we hope that the government is able to come back with a greater -understanding of how important junior doctors feel about the future of the NHS they work in”.

The contract dispute surrounds the Government looking to extend non-emergency services to cover weekends and the hours between 7pm and 10pm on week nights.

Department of Health sources and many junior doctors now expect a strike to be held as soon as next week.

“Nobody wants to see industrial action, not least junior doctors”. We need a long-term settlement for the NHS and social care.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: “This dispute must be settled without delay”. He has been in regular contact with Hunt and his closest aides, and attended a number of meetings at which Hunt and NHS Employers have decided how to respond to junior doctors’ demands. It would be disastrous if we drift into a strike which could have a significant impact on patients.