This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Ministers should ‘apologise’ to junior doctors, says Berwick
Ministers were ‘wrong’ to impose contracts and should ‘apologise’ to junior doctors, according to former patient safety advisor Professor Don Berwick.
Berwick led a government review into patient safety back in 2013 and has advised that there should be a three year moratorium on the new contract.
Speaking at an event at The King’s Fund in London, Berwick criticised the Department of Health for creating a ‘demoralised’ workforce, referring to the situation as a mess.
He said: “You cannot achieve excellence in combat with your future workforce, it makes no sense at all.
"So you need to find a way to de-escalate. I think the government should apologise."
Berwick has also been a health adviser to President Barack Obama and the BBC is describing Berwick as the most high profile figure yet to speak out against the decision to impose the junior doctor contract.
As it stands the British Medical Association (BMA) has organised for three more 48 hour strike in protest of the new contract, scheduled to take place on 8am on Wednesday 9 March to 8am on Friday 11 March; 8am on Wednesday 6 April to 8am on Friday 8 April; and 8am on Tuesday 26 April to 8am on Thursday 28 April, where junior doctors will offer emergency care only.
The BMA is also launching a judicial review, claiming that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has acted unlawfully in imposing the contract.
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