Hunt gives hours pledge to junior doctors

If the Government force this contract through, there is a real risk that junior doctors will speak with their feet which would be a disaster for the NHS, and for patients. These included proper recognition of unsocial hours as premium time, and no disadvantage for those working antisocial hours compared to the current system or those working less than full time.

Earlier this week, the British Medical Association (BMA) reported a “huge surge” in the number of junior doctors joining the union. Many doctors also feel it’s unfair that they could face pay cuts up to 40 per cent.

Junior doctors are furious at terms of the new deal which they fear will see their average salaries reduced by 10 to 15 per cent for working 90 hour weeks.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the proposals will not mean pay cuts and junior doctors will not be expected to work longer hours.

The Government has said it plans to impose the new contract on doctors up to consultant level next year.

Juniors have highlighted what they said was the unfairness of being paid the same for working at 9pm on a Saturday as 9am on a Tuesday.

In his letter, Hunt said that the new contract was not a “cost-cutting exercise” and gave “a categorical assurance” that he is not seeking to save any money from the doctors’ paybill.

He said: “Whilst I want to see an end to automatic annual increments (with pay rises instead based on moving through the stages of training and taking on more responsibility), these changes would be cost neutral, rather than cost saving”.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “We have given the BMA Junior Doctors” Committee four cast-iron assurances to encourage them to come back to the table and negotiate on a new contract that’s fairer for doctors and safer for patients.

“Doctors don’t take industrial action lightly, but there is a huge amount of anger among junior doctors about what is happening to them and what is happening to the NHS”.

The BMA is already under pressure from a few juniors to seek to have all of Saturday counted as an antisocial shift which attracts overtime, and potentially weekday evenings too.

He reiterated his support for a seven-day NHS, a centrepiece in the government’s manifesto to eradicate the perceived “weekend effect” of “excess deaths in NHS hospitals”. “We strongly urge junior doctors to respond positively and collaboratively in order to help drive the improvements from which we will all benefit”.

And a “flexible pay premia” would be used to support recruitment into specialities with dire shortages such as A&E medicine and general practice.

Dr Malawana said: “It is encouraging that the Health Secretary has finally recognised the vital role that junior doctors play as tomorrow’s leaders across the NHS”.

It comes after the BMA said it would ballot its members over possible strike action.

“Questions still remain and we are urgently seeking clarification on the points raised in the letter”, he said.