It said junior doctors “cannot and will not accept” the contract and will “consider all options” available to them.
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Royal colleges and unions have expressed dismay at the Health Secretary’s move, which comes after weeks of deadlock between the BMA, Government officials and NHS Employers.
Jeremy Hunt has been accused of ignoring and not engaging with junior doctors throughout their contract dispute – and on Thursday he couldn’t have done so any more blatantly.
The deal, which would change regulations around working anti-social hours, has been hugely controversial.
An unweighted survey of doctors reported by the Independent found that 90 per cent would consider quitting were the contract unilaterally imposed.
But it is unclear whether the chief executives saw the letter’s text before it was sent to Mr Hunt, and many have now distanced themselves from imposed contracts.
“The last few months have been incredibly tough for junior doctors, and have led to the lowest morale across our profession in a generation”, said Dr Maureen Baker.
But now at least nine say they never supported the idea of forcing junior doctors to accept new contracts and did not back the Health Secretary’s move.
Mr Hunt told the House of Commons “he had no choice” but to impose the new contract after talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) broke down this week.
“Rather than addressing these issues, the Health Secretary is ploughing ahead with proposals that are fundamentally unfair”.
“Instead of working with the BMA to reach an agreement that is in the best interests of patients, junior doctors and the NHS as a whole the Government has walked away, rejecting a fair and affordable offer put forward by the BMA”.
The announcement was made just hours after the end of a 24 hour strike which brought defiant doctors out on to picket lines across the North East to fight against proposed new terms and conditions.
The major sticking point has been over weekend pay and whether Saturdays should attract extra “unsocial” payments.
Under the new contract, 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day.
“The government’s shambolic handling of this process from start to finish has totally alienated a generation of junior doctors – the hospital doctors and general practitioners of the future, and there is a real risk that some will vote with their feet”, Dr. Malawana said.
“However, I was not asked whether I think this contract should now be imposed”.
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But the British Medical Association (BMA) said the new contract was unsafe for staff and patients because it will stretch limited resources more thinly across the NHS.
