Thousands of junior doctors overwhelmingly back strikes with 98% of ballot
Thousands of junior doctors have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strikes in a bitter row with the Government.
Some 98% voted in favour of strikes, with 2% against and 11 spoilt ballot papers, the British Medical Association (BMA) said.
More than 37,000 doctors were balloted by the BMA, and 76% took part in the vote.
Doctors will strike over three days, providing emergency care only for 24 hours from 8am on December 1, followed by full walkouts from 8am to 5pm on December 8 and 16.
There is expected to be mass disruption to the NHS, with hospitals forced to cancel outpatient clinics and non-urgent operations.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the strikes – the latest stage of a fierce dispute over pay and conditions regarding a new contract for doctors in England – are “totally unwarranted” and will harm patients.
The BMA has refused to get back round the negotiating table with the Government in the row over the new contract, which is set to be imposed from next summer on doctors working up to consultant level.
Mr Hunt tried to avert strikes with a fresh deal, including an 11% rise in basic pay.
This is offset by plans to cut the number of hours on a weekend that junior doctors can claim extra pay for “unsocial” hours.
Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay.
Under the new plans, a higher rate would run from 10pm to 7am Monday to Friday, and from 7pm on Saturday evenings – a concession on the previous 10pm.
Other proposals are to replace the GP pay supplement – without which GPs would be paid on average around a third less than hospital trainees – and replace it with a “flexible pay premium”.
The BMA is concerned this could be removed over time and may only be offered in certain geographic areas.
Mr Hunt has said flexible pay premiums would be applied to more specialities than just general practice and A&E care, with acute medical ward staff and psychiatrists benefiting.
He argues that, under the new deal, just 1% of doctors would lose pay and those would be limited to doctors working too many hours already.
He said maximum working hours per week would fall from 91 to 72.
Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA’s junior doctor committee chairman, has said the increase in basic pay is misleading due to the changes to pay for unsocial hours. He said this devalues the vital work junior doctors do in the evenings and at weekends.
The BMA has argued the Government could avoid strikes by offering assurances and lifting the threat that the contract will be imposed.
Guaranteed pay increases linked to time in the job are being scrapped and replaced with a system linked to progression through set training stages.
The BMA argues this affects some trainees, such as women who take time out to have a baby.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2015, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Andrew Matthews PA/Wire.
