Junior Doctors’ Contract Talks To Restart

“We have been clear throughout this process that we want to negotiate a contract that is safe and fair, and delivers for junior doctors, patients and the NHS as whole”, the chairman of the BMA junior doctors committee, Johann Malawana, said in a statement.

Although she said they received a lot of support today, Dr Gordon did say there were a few people who disagreed with them: “There was a small minority – I have to say it was a very small minority – some of them were understandably have unwell relatives in hospital and are upset and anxious for them”.

Dr Megan Parson, a junior doctor at the Royal Oldham, said: “We didn’t want it to come to this but we felt that we had no choice”.

“This is a wholly unnecessary dispute”.

Tuesday was a really bad day to be a patient in England.

A Conservative MP elected in 2015 told Business Insider that “no strike should threaten emergency care” and the strikes are “disappointing and risky”.

The BMA also has a range of other concerns, including on protecting doctors working in some specialties.

“Whilst we are postponing some clinic appointments and elective surgery, we are contacting everyone involved individually ahead of time so they know what is happening and can plan accordingly”.

Junior doctors picketing at West Suffolk Hospital. Some doctors at the hospital have also accused the Trust of pre-planning the incident, after a letter which was sent to them this morning was dated Monday. 55,000 junior doctors are working in Britain, making up a third of the medical workforce.

“We are not here because of pay – we are concerned about excessive and unsafe working hours”.

The reason the public seem to support junior doctors despite being unaware of the issues, could be down to the huge popularity the NHS retains with the general public.

Their treatment by this government has been nothing short of appalling, leading to the strike action in our NHS today.

The basis for the current round of negotiations is the Government’s offer from early November, including an 11 per cent rise in basic pay.

Around 160 picket lines were put in place for Tuesday’s strike, with a large concentration in and around London.

This will be followed by further strikes.

There is the potential for two more strikes in the coming weeks if the British Medical Association don’t reach an agreement with the Government – a 48 hour strike on January 26 and a full withdrawal of labour from 8am to 5pm on February10.

Talks aimed at avoiding further NHS strikes in England are due to resume later, amid warnings the government could impose its controversial new contract on junior doctors.