Junior doctors press ahead with industrial action

Junior doctors in England will take a second day of action after contract talks ended without agreement. Action will take place from 8am on Wednesday 10 February to 8am on Thursday 11 February, with junior doctors providing only emergency care during this period. Trusts across England have been informed of this change to the originally planned action, which would have seen the first-ever full walkout with no care provided by junior doctors. The decision comes after talks between the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health were unable to reach an agreement on the issue of unsocial hours. Originally planned as a full walk-out, action on 10 February will instead mirror that taken on 12 January with junior doctors providing emergency care only until 8am on 11 February.   'Mounting pressures' BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said: 'Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed the involvement of Sir David Dalton in talks about a new junior doctor contract, which recognises the need to protect patient care and doctors’ working lives. 'His understanding of the realities of a health service buckling under mounting pressures and commitment to reaching a fair agreement has resulted in good progress on a number of issues. 'It is, therefore, particularly frustrating that the Government is still digging in its heels.' He added: 'The Government’s entrenched position in refusing to recognise Saturday working as unsocial hours, together with its co...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news