Junior doctors across England are preparing for a second day of strike action as their dispute with the Government over a new contract continues.
Advertisement
He denied the Government had been looking for a battle with public sector unions and accused “elements” within the BMA of refusing to reach any compromise agreement.
“We are showing here tonight that the public will campaign to protect our NHS as a public service”.
The full strike comes after health secretary Jeremy Hunt called on the British Medical Association to halt the action.
Nonetheless, Mr. Hunt does not seem ready to budge.
He said: “This is likely to be my last big job in politics”.
“We are proud of the NHS as one of our greatest institutions but we must turn that pride into actions and a seven-day service will help us turn the NHS into one of the highest quality healthcare systems in the world”.
“Health secretaries are never popular. For me, that’s what it’s about”.
The dispute is over working hours and pay with a key sticking point the payments for Saturday. Jeremy Hunt seems immoveable, but the junior doctors have fought a passionate campaign.
The physicians have threatened to strike many times over the past several months during contract negotiations and after Mr. Hunt attempted to impose the contract on the junior physicians. But they have not been used by any NHS trust yet.
“Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has robust plans in place to minimise disruption as much as possible and to preserve patient care”, he said.
But hospitals reported they had coped well during Tuesday’s walkout with some saying they were quieter than normal. “Off to ED to review a pt”. He said: “We have secured consultant cover and we are confident that our hospitals are safe”. But many hospitals said contingency plans had worked well.
The strike -taking place over two days – marks the first time that even emergency services are affected by industrial action.
She said: “Women who are in labour during the strike period will see no change to their care and will give birth as usual, whether in hospital on our delivery suite or Midwifery-led Unit, or at home if they have chosen a home birth”.
Advertisement
“Junior doctors are out here today because we feel we have been backed into a corner, whereby we must protest the future of the NHS. We need to make a stand and get somebody to start listening to us about the impact this will have on patient safety”.
