Junior doctors hopeful for new contract negotiations

Patients in Sheffield are being warned to expect longer waits and possible cancelled operations as a junior doctors’ strike takes place tomorrow.

In the letter, seen by the Mirror, Labour’s Carwyn Jones demands to know “what contingency plans are being put in place to minimise the impact on NHS Wales and to ensure Welsh patients are not put at risk as a effect of the strike action in England”.

They plan to provide only emergency care for 24 hours beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 8 a.m. The physicians are then poised to take full strikes from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. on Dec. 8 and 16.

Ninety-eight percent of more than 37,000 junior doctors had voted to take part in industrial action, including strikes, in protest against the new employment contract proposed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

However, the union and government are said to be still at odds over a deal on a new contract.

“A small positive step has been made over the past few days by the Government’s eventual agreement to enter into negotiations mediated by ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), but now the threat of this contract is still present and we remain deeply concerned”.

Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust has cancelled 40 operations and 400 outpatient appointments and will rebook them.

“However, junior doctors and the public, who by now will be used to Jeremy Hunt’s political game playing, will not be surprised by the fact that he has waited until now to do the right thing”. “Patients whose appointments had been cancelled should wait to hear from us before travelling to hospital”.

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

Medics say this would effectively be a pay cut of up to 30% because evenings and Saturdays are usually paid at a higher rate. It will allow for four weeks of further negotiations before the BMA can commence any further industrial action. It also has other concerns over flexible pay plans for some specialities.

She said: “Nobody wanted to see industrial action, not least the Junior Doctors, so it will be a huge relief to many that common sense has finally prevailed”.

“Note: for the purposes of this agreement, NHS Employers is acting on behalf of all employers of junior doctors”.

The report indicates that about two third of the junior doctors from maternity ward were planning to quit their profession or leave the country for good if the terms of contract remained unchanged.

A spokesman for the hospital, said: “All patients who require urgent care will be treated and our Emergency Department will run as normal”.