The British Medical Association has today said that, following discussion with NHS England, it will suspend next week’s planned action.
Advertisement
What’s more, in justifying why they called off the strike which was due to start on September 12, they’re trying to have their cake and eat it.
Prof Stephenson said although the 1983 Medical Act “which governs everything we do” was not designed for mass industrial action, he added “we are quite clear in our guidance that every single individual doctor must put their patients first”.
“This is not true”.
“With barely any notice for trusts to prepare, this unprecedented level of strike action will cause major disruption and risk patient safety”, he added. “But if the BMA were really serious about patient safety, they would immediately cancel their remaining plans for industrial action which, as the GMC says, will only cause patients to suffer”. He continues to ignore our request to stop the imposition. Junior doctors may also be hoping to keep the public on their side in their bitter dispute with Hunt. He continues to disregard the concerns junior doctors have about staffing shortages and patient safety.
“It is extremely good news for patients that this strike has been suspended”.
A statement from the BMA read: “While the BMA had provided more than the legally required seven days’ notice ahead of industrial action, NHS England has said that it needs more time to plan for escalated action”.
Junior doctors have walked out six times this year, with three more five-day strikes planned on 5 October, 14 November and 5 December. These walkouts are planned to take place between 8am and 5pm BST.
However, further strikes planned for later in the year are still due to go ahead as the dispute with the government rumbles on.
‘Future action is still avoidable.
The GMC (General Medical Council) has demanded that they call off the strike as they fear it will put many patients at risk.
But a spokeswoman provided a previously distributed statement which reads: “As doctors’ representatives, the BMA should be putting patients first not playing politics in a way that will be immensely damaging for vulnerable patients”.
Advertisement
A Number 10 spokesman said: “The Government’s position has been that we didn’t want the strike to take place”. Giving the example of a junior doctor on the picket line who is asked to come in, Prof Stephenson said: “In a service already depleted through illness or through problems, where consultants and management said we really can not guarantee a safe service for these five days, each of those individual trainees would have to think very carefully because if harm ensued, they have to be able to justify what they did”.
