Junior docs and consultants to go on joint strike for first time in NHS historical past

Junior docs and consultants in England will take joint strike motion for the primary time over 4 days throughout September and October, the British Medical Association (BMA) has introduced.

The BMA stated consultants will strike on 19 and 20 September with Christmas Day ranges of canopy, whereas junior docs can even stroll out on 20 September with comparable ranges of canopy adopted by strikes on 21 and 22 September.

Both consultants and junior docs will strike once more on 2, 3, and 4 October with Christmas Day ranges of canopy, in what the union stated was the primary joint strike between consultants and junior docs in NHS historical past.

The strike days additionally coincide with Rishi Sunak‘s first Tory occasion convention as chief and prime minister.

BMA junior physician committee co-chairs Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi stated: “Today, junior docs throughout England are sending a single message, loud and clear to the federal government: we’re not going wherever.

“We are prepared to continue with our industrial action, but we don’t have to – the prime minister has the power to halt any further action by making us a credible offer that we can put to our members.

“Refusing to barter with us and with our guide colleagues will not be the way in which forward.”

Health Secretary Steve Barclay stated the joint strike was “extremely disappointing” – as he hit out on the BMA’s “relentless and co-ordinated strike action”.

“Nearly 900,000 appointments have been cancelled due to strike action,” he tweeted.

“I fear the BMA’s hard-line stance and threat of indefinite action means this number will only keep rising.”

He stated docs who began their hospital coaching this 12 months will obtain a ten.3% pay enhance, with the common junior physician in line for a 8.8% rise.

Consultants have been supplied a 6% rise – a determine the BMA described as “insulting”, claiming consultants have skilled a “35% pay erosion” over the past 14 years.

“My door is always open to discuss how we can work together with NHS staff to improve their working lives – but this pay award is final, so I urge the BMA to call an end to this callous and calculated disruption,” Mr Barclay tweeted.

The union stated it was persevering with motion within the autumn in opposition to the “backdrop of a hugely understaffed and under-resourced health service”.

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It stated the poll for industrial motion for junior docs had been renewed for an extra six months, with 98.4% voting in favour on a 71% turnout.

“Junior doctors and consultants have seen their pay drop in real terms by over a third in the past 15 years,” the BMA stated.

It claimed that the federal government was refusing to enter talks with both junior docs or consultants.

The newest strike motion comes after junior docs staged 19 days of walkouts throughout March this 12 months.

Last week putting consultants apologised to sufferers who suffered delayed or cancelled appointments as a consequence of industrial motion however stated the federal government was responsible.

The senior docs walked out for 48 hours from 7am on 24 August, working on a “Christmas day cover” foundation.