Junior doctors ‘very likely’ to join walkouts if 26pc demand is not met, says BMA chief

JUNIOR doctors are “very likely” to strike and demand a pay rise of more than a quarter, the British Medical Association has said.

The union is balloting junior doctors on Jan 9, meaning industrial action could come early next year, after crippling strikes by nurses, paramedics and other health workers.

Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chairman of council at the BMA, said it was “very likely” that medics would vote in favour. Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, she said pay rises in recent years had not kept up with inflation, calling for increases of 26 per cent.

Asked about the chance the ballot would back strike action, she said: “I think it’s likely unless the Government is willing to negotiate with us on pay.”

Challenged on whether she really thought such a rise likely, Dr Runswick said: “It’s only as steep as the money that has been cut from us. It’s only as steep as the money that we’ve lost.

“We’ve had pay cuts for junior doctors of 26.1 per cent since 2008. And over a quarter of our pay has been lost and this year again, we’ve received a 2 per cent pay rise which is about 10 per cent less than inflation that’s another month working for free compared to last year,” she said.

“We will continue to seek restoration of the losses that we’ve had,” the union leader said, agreeing that it was “very likely” that the vote would back strikes.

“I do [think it is very likely] unless there is change from the Government.

“It’s in the Government’s gift to negotiate,” Dr Runswick said.

In 2016, junior doctors took part in four waves of strike action, with the first general strike across the NHS, ultimately including withdrawal of emergency cover.

The strikes, which led to the cancellation of about 300,000 outpatients appointments, ended badly for the BMA, with the resignation of the chairman of junior doctors after union members rejected an amended deal.

Earlier this year, medics at the BMA’S annual conference said a real-terms pay cut in the past 12 years meant doctors had lost millions of pounds each.

Delegates at the union’s meeting in Brighton cheered in favour of industrial action, with members praising the train unions for their stance. The union had

‘It’s only as steep as the money that has been cut from us. It’s only as steep as the money that we’ve lost’

said it would ballot junior doctors, who earn between £29,000 and £58,000 per year.

At the June conference, the union passed a motion saying that pay had failed to keep up with inflation, meaning a real terms loss of up to 30 per cent.

The motion backs a campaign to increase pay for all doctors, including hospital consultants, who earn about £120,000 a year on average, and GP partners, whose earning rose to an average of £142,000 during the pandemic.

Dr Runswick hit back at comments by Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, who had told The Sunday

Telegraph the BMA treated him like a “heretic” when he raised concerns about patients’ access to GP care.

In the interview, Mr Streeting singled out the BMA in particular for being “hostile” to the idea that patients should expect better standards.