Junior doctors plan full walkout strike over contracts
Hardening of union attitudes could lead to withdrawal of all labour from NHS
DOCTORS’ unions are drawing up plans for a series of “escalating” strikes in opposition to government plans to impose a new contract on them.
The British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee has drawn up plans to give the NHS notice of a string of strikes, which would be likely to include the first ever full walkout by junior doctors.
In a statement to its members, the committee said it was time to force the Government to “put their money where their mouth is”.
Its leaders also signalled plans to attempt legal action against the plan by Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, to impose a new contract on junior doctors.
The decisions follow 10 days of deliberation by the union, culminating in a meeting of its BMA junior doctors committee (JDC) this weekend.
However, any decisions would need to be agreed by senior figures in the union, who may be wary that further actions could alienate the public.
The union has already held two days of industrial action. Soon after the last strike finished earlier this month, Mr Hunt vowed to impose the new contract.
It came after the union rejected the Government’s latest offer, which had included premium weekend rates to any doctor working at least one Saturday a month.
In an email to union mem- bers, Dr Johann Malawana, chairman of the committee said: “JDC has made the clear decision that further industrial action is inevitable and that we will consider escalating any action to achieve our aim to end the imposition.”
He said that notices would be issued to the NHS “in very short order” setting out the details of a series of strikes.
So far, the BMA has limited industrial action to the withdrawal of non-emergency care by junior doctors. Two days of such strikes in January and February meant 6,000 operations and thousands more hospital appointments were cancelled.
A full walkout would have a far greater impact.
Polls before each of the last two strikes found the public was supportive of industrial action, with 66 per cent giving it their backing.
However, the percentage dropped sharply when asked about a full walkout by doctors.
Patients’ groups have expressed concern that the withdrawal of all labour by striking junior doctors could put lives at risk, and mean the closure of Accident and Emergency departments.
A spokesman for the BMA said: “The JDC are deeply unhappy with the way the Secretary of State and Government have handled the contract and are looking at future options. An announcement will be made in due course.”
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