Strike dates announced in junior doctors’ dispute

That will be followed by full walkouts on 8 and 16 December.

“The biggest regret that I have here is that our government is forcing junior doctors into the position of using something like this for industrial action”.

If England’s 45,000 trainee medics get the go-ahead for industrial action over a new contract, they will provide emergency care only for 24 hours starting at 8am on Tuesday December 1.

But the former GP also called for health secretary Jeremy Hunt to get round the table with unions.

Junior doctors across the country could take strike action on three days in December to protest against controversial proposed changes to their contracts.

“Proposed strike action, as outlined by the BMA would be hugely regrettable”.

“Industrial action is the last resort for a reason: it comes only when every other avenue has been exhausted”.

Doctors and the government have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute over plans for new contracts.

Flexible pay premiums would be applied to more specialities than just general practice and A&E care, with acute medical ward staff and psychiatrists benefiting, he said.

He said maximum working hours per week would fall from 91 to 72 under the new deal.

Dr Wollaston said: “To have three days including two of them full walk out I think will be putting patients at significant harm”. Strike action always puts patients at risk – so this blinkered and persistent refusal by the BMA to engage with the Government is extremely disappointing.

Johann Malawana, the BMA’s junior doctor committee chairman, hit back at criticism of an impending strike, commenting that the increase in basic pay was misleading as it would be “offset by changes to pay for unsocial hours – devaluing the vital work junior doctors do at evenings and weekends”.

“The Government’s refusal to work with us through genuine negotiations, and its continued threat to impose an unsafe and unfair contract leaves us with no alternative”.