He criticised Mrs May and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and said they were determined to implement the contract because it was “in their party manifesto”.
Advertisement
Chief executive Katherine Murphy told the Press Association: “From a patient’s point of view it is obviously catastrophic news – the scale of the industrial action is unforgivable”.
‘We recognise the frustration and alienation of doctors in training and indeed their right to take industrial action.
Dr Borman said: “As with previous periods of industrial action, our first priority is the safe care of our patients”.
The concerns of junior doctors regarding the 7-day NHS have been intensified following the closure of A&E departments and the limiting of services at hospitals in Chorely, Grantham and Stafford due to staff shortages.
Dr Porter said it was not the case that all GP and consultant representatives were opposed to the strike action.
The strike will take place between 8am and 5pm for five days from Monday, September 12, according to the British Medical Association.
These add to dates announced yesterday – five consecutive days from 12 September.
Six strikes have taken place across England during the dispute, which centres on a new contract for junior doctors.
Dr McCourt said the action will be called off if the Government agrees not to impost the new contract.
Basic salary was increased by about 10 per cent to compensate for the loss in unsociable pay – a drop from the 13.5 per cent previously promised – and safeguards were built in to protect junior doctors from being overworked.
The Tory Health Secretary was responding to criticism of his handling of the longest doctors’ strike in NHS history.
She also said her college had not supported the statement because members felt it was “unjust” to imply that junior doctors “do not put patient safety first and foremost”.
“Most of our foundation year job plans for junior doctors are compliant with both versions of the contract, although it is more complicated in other groups of junior doctors”.
“Secondly, we feel it’s important to note that we are neither a trades union nor a political organisation and it is not for us to take sides or be partisan in this argument”.
“It has been well reported that demand in our hospitals has been high over the last few weeks and we are aware of the additional challenges this period of industrial action will present, so I would ask people to ensure they are prepared for any disruption”.
The BMA has said it is “absolutely behind” junior doctors and dismissed suggestions that the council’s vote to approve strike action was a narrow split of 16-14.
“She said the BMA had tried to work with the Department of Health to address concerns about the contract, but had been met with “unwillingness to engage, and at times, deafening silence” from Mr Hunt”.
“Given the intransigence of the Government, this decision was always likely”, she said.
“It’s putting patients under unnecessary stress and worry because every day they’re hearing about a crisis in the NHS and the financial problems in our hospitals up and down the country”.
Advertisement
The Royal College of Physicians warned recently that the NHS will face an “extremely hard autumn”, even before the latest strikes, because of difficulties filling gaps in the rota.
