Health unions to boycott ‘rigged’ review of pay as doctors vote on whether to walk out

DOCTORS have said they will boycott the next pay review – describing it as “rigged” – ahead of a meeting with the Health Secretary today.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is due to meet Steve Barclay to discuss industrial relations, as the union ballots 45,000 junior doctors on threeday walkouts.

The meeting was postponed for a day, with the union yesterday saying the minister had cancelled plans for talks in favour of making media appearances.

The talks are due to discuss future pay rounds, but the BMA was among unions yesterday saying it will not submit evidence this year.

Prof Philip Banfield, BMA chairman of council, said: “The medical profession has long lost faith in the fairness or independence of this process. Neither junior doctors nor consultants will even submit evidence this year – knowing the process is rigged from the start.”

He said ministers had ignored previous advice from the independent pay review bodies, suggesting that doctors should receive a rise beyond the 2 per cent agreed in a multi-year deal.

A second round of talks between ministers and other health unions are expected within days.

A Whitehall source said: “The talks on Monday were constructive and we will be seeing further talks soon.” He said any movement on an offer from Government – such as a one-off payment, or extra backpay – would depend on talks across different departments.

An ambulance workers union said it was “hopeful” of negotiating “a swift end to the dispute” allowing strikes on Jan 23 to be called off. Yesterday up to 25,000 ambulance workers across England

and Wales took part in a second day of strike action in a dispute over their 4 per cent pay rise. Paramedics, call handlers, drivers and technicians from Unison and GMB were among those taking part.

In London just half the number of ambulances were available. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “NHS leaders, in partnership with staff, and working with union representatives on the ground, made extensive preparations to mitigate against yesterday’s strike action.

“The public’s support has been invaluable in following national advice which has allowed health services to continue to pull out all the stops to ensure that urgent and life-saving care could be prioritised, but this is simply not sustainable day in day out.

“For NHS leaders there is a real fear that the risk to patients will only intensify with future strikes, including for nurses and physiotherapists planned in the coming weeks, and no sign of resolution on the horizon.”

‘The risk to patients will only intensify with future strikes... and no sign of resolution on the horizon’