She says the new contracts are “safe”, adding: “The government is putting patients first, the BMA should be putting patients first – not playing politics”.
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When are the junior doctor strikes in September 2016?
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents health service leaders, said: “I think it’s very concerning – we’re talking about five days in September, which is just 12 days’ notice to prepare, which is the shortest time we’ve ever had to prepare, and then we’re talking about sets of five days of strikes”.
The new strikes are planned between the hours of 8am and 5pm on 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 October; from 14-18 November and from 5-9 December.
Junior doctors and supporters of the BMA strikes wearing face masks and stickers over their mouths as they sit down in a silent protest outside Bristol Royal Infirmary during strike action.
Dr. Ellen McCourt, British Medical Association junior doctors’ committee chair, said: “Junior doctors still have serious concerns with the contract, particularly that it will fuel the current workforce crisis, and that it fails to treat all doctors fairly”.
She said: “The proposed strike by junior doctors will cause untold misery for patients who are going to see appointments and surgeries cancelled”.
Around 100,000 operations and one million appointments would be hit by the action, Mr Hunt said, describing the strike as “devastating”. “Jeremy Hunt should stop posturing about imposing a junior doctors’ contract, scrap it, and re-enter talks”.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) would be obliged to impose the contract on all junior doctors due to its non-foundation status.
Six strikes have taken place across England during the dispute. And the sooner junior doctors call off this strike, the better for avoiding damaging their already dented image.
“We need to find a way to put the NHS back on the road to recovery and avert this strike, it is clear the Health Secretary is unable to do so”.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt told the BBC today he was not responsible for the failure of negotiations, and claimed he had “bent over backwards” to resolve the disagreement, making 107 concessions during talks.
Prime Minister Theresa May has slammed the BMA union for “playing politics” after it announced the fresh wave of industrial action this week.
He said: “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”. We shall be discussing the implications of this action with our junior doctors and our colleagues in the BMA.
Katherine Murphy, the chief executive of The Patients Association, said: “The findings reveal the unfortunate impact on patients who may have waited a considerable time for their appointment”.
Andrew Furlong, medical director at Leicester’s hospitals, said planning to cope with the action has already started.
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The announcement reignites the long-running and bitter dispute.
