A junior doctor has gone viral this week after posting a Facebook status about the current five day strikes.
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The BMA has called off next week’s junior doctors’ strike, citing patient safety concerns.
In a statement, the British Medical Association (BMA) said the abandoned strike does not absolve Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and warned remaining walkouts later in the year will go ahead as planned.
But in advice for doctors considering industrial action, HEE said: “Whilst industrial action in the short term may not necessarily compromise their training, there could be circumstances where prolonged industrial action and loss of training experience impact on a doctor’s ability to demonstrate competence and the satisfactory completion of the curriculum”. We have to listen to our colleagues when they tell us that they need more time to keep patients safe.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he wants to introduce new contracts making Saturday a normal working day, to create what he calls a 7-day NHS.
Dr Ellen McCourt, chair of the BMA’s junior doctors committee.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “The public will be relieved that the BMA has chose to call off the first phase of these unprecedented strikes, so this is welcome news”.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “The public will be relieved that the BMA has chose to call off the first phase of these unprecedented strikes, so this is welcome news”.
Mr Pinfield also said he felt there was “no way” the NHS in Worcestershire would be able to cover five days, as they had done with senior doctors in previous 24 and 48-hour walk outs.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Diane Abbott, who at the weekend said she would join junior doctors on the picket line, welcomed the delay in action.
“We continue to urge the BMA to call off the remaining strikes to prevent further distress, delay and pain to patients”.
“I still believe that industrial action could be warranted given the outstanding concerns that many of us still have about the new contracts, however the BMA has acted in a responsible fashion”.
Junior doctors would gain support if they struck.
“When that is put alongside the implications of Brexit and the potential loss of experienced staff through the decision by many junior doctors to leave the profession or to go overseas, this is a worrying position”.
The medical regulator is believes that this unprecedented level of strike action could even lead to patient deaths.
The public appear to be strongly opposed to that step, with 48% of people telling a YouGov survey they are against five-day strikes.
Newcastle junior doctor John Moore said many medics would be “relieved” at the news and praised the BMA for “acting responsibly”.
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Six strikes have already taken place in the long-running dispute, disrupting hundreds of thousands of patients who have had their appointments and operations cancelled.
