The union also says that the contract is unfair on those working less-than full time, a majority of whom are women, and on junior doctors who work the most weekends.
Advertisement
Mr Hunt told BBC Breakfast he was not responsible for failed negotiations, saying he had “bent over backwards” to resolve the dispute – making 107 concessions.
Six strikes have already taken place across England during the dispute, causing disruption to hundreds of thousands of patients who have had appointments and operations cancelled.
“I want to talk, I want to sit round the table, I want to sort out all outstanding issues”, he said.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said around 100,000 operations will be cancelled and one million hospital appointments postponed in what would be “the worst strike in NHS history”.
But the BMA said it was “absolutely behind” the decision for further strikes. Mr Hunt believes the changes will be a “significant step forward” towards his goal of a implementing a seven-day NHS without allocating any additional funding.
“We will give patients as much notice as possible where cancellations are unavoidable. I think the public mood is probably shifting a little bit further away from the doctors now because it is not clear why the strikes are continuing when a deal was done at an earlier point”.
A week of strikes has been scheduled from 08:00-17:00 on 12-16 September, marking the most prolonged period of strike action since the dispute began.
Later in the day, doctors ratcheted up the conflict further, announcing week-long strikes until the end of the year.
“Nye Bevan, the founder of the NHS, was described by the BMA (British Medical Association) as a medical Fuhrer”, he said.
The BMA originally accepted a contract offer from the government in May but when this was taken to a member’s vote it was rejected.
Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May accused the BMA of “playing politics”.
She said: “We felt we couldn’t support this statement first of all because we would rather make a positive suggestion”.
Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
“If it agrees to do this, junior doctors will call off industrial action”, added Ellen McCourt, BMA junior doctors committee chair.
But the doctors now plan to walk out every month for the rest of the year.
He replied: “Health Secretary is never the most popular job in British politics because people are passionate about the NHS”.
“And the third reason, we felt it was unjust in its implication that junior doctors do not put patient safety first and foremost”.
“Since July, the BMA has made repeated attempts to work with the Government to address the concerns that junior doctors have raised about the contract”.
Advertisement
He added: “The proposed action is extreme in its scale and timing and shows scant regard for patients, nor to their colleagues who will have to work under even greater pressure when this industrial action goes ahead”.
