Junior doctors have accused Mr Hunt of being “afraid to debate in public” the issues raised by a new contract, which they say he is seeking to “force down their throats”.
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JUNIOR doctors formed a picket line outside Basingstoke hospital on their second day of the first ever all-out doctors’ strike.
But Mr Hunt has accused the BMA of trying to “blackmail” the government with strike action.
Emergency protocols were also in place whereby hospitals can call for junior doctors to return to work if patients are at risk.
But the argument isn’t that black and white.
He said: “As a medical registrar the concern is that we are over-stretched as it is five days a week covering elective and emergency work”. It certainly is an unusual scenario when doctors are cast as radicals.
Across the trust, 11.6 per cent of around 1,000 junior doctors worked on Tuesday.
Surely people would prefer the government to offer its own acceptable concessions, rather than stubbornly to refuse, in a bid to save face?
However, most hospitals coped well and did not experience any problems.
He added: ‘These two days of industrial action mark one of the lowest points in the wonderful history of the NHS’.
The striking doctors take issue with the terms of a new work contract drawn up by the United Kingdom government that extend the definition of “normal working hours” to include evenings and Saturdays, meaning that doctors will no longer receive premium pay for working those shifts in most cases.
Negotiations between the government and British Medical Association broke down in January, leading Hunt to announce the government would enforce the contract on junior doctors.
They have suggested that this must mean that doctors will be working longer hours.
Andy Ennis, chief operating officer, said: “We’ve prepared as best we can for the junior doctors’ strike, but inevitably a number of operations and outpatient appointments have been postponed”.
“Normal services our hospitals provide will be affected and we are in touch with the patients concerned, however, if you have an appointment on either Tuesday or Wednesday and haven’t heard from us, we still want to see you”.
Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs Whipps Cross, advised people not to come to the accident and emergency departments at its hospitals during the strike unless in need of emergency care.
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“This is an unprecedented situation and staff across the NHS have made herculean efforts to ensure continued safe services for patients, which is always our top priority”.
