This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Junior doctors' strike risks patient safety, Hunt warns
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that the scheduled all-out junior doctors’ strike ‘risks the safety of many patients’.
Hunt issued the warning in a letter to Dr Mark Porter, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA), ahead of the industrial actions due to take place from 26-27 April, which will be the first time in the history of the NHS that doctors withdrawn emergency cover.
In the letter Hunt described the planned action as ‘extreme’ and urged Porter to ‘reconsider whether the action being taken is proportionate or appropriate’.
He reiterated that he would be going ahead with the new contract despite the resistance from junior doctors, but said that it ‘does not mean that we cannot rebuild trust’. Hunt requested that Porter meet with him to discuss implementation of the new contract in a way that is ‘effective at reducing the maximum hours junior doctors can be asked to work’, as well as ‘improving work-life balance for junior doctors’.
However, Porter replied to the letter saying that talks can start again if Hunt agrees to take back the threat of imposing the new contract against the will of junior doctors.
Porter said: “While we remain committed to reaching a negotiated settlement, this cannot take place with the threat of imposition hanging over our junior doctors’ heads. They have consistently made clear that this would be unacceptable, hence our clear offer to you last week.
“I am now repeating this offer as a way to break the current impasse: if you agree to lift imposition while talks resume, we will immediately call off the industrial action planned for 26 and 27 April.”
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