Junior doctors' strike: 48-hour walkout begins

By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent
  • 1 hour ago
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  • From the section Health
Doctor strikingImage copyrightGetty Images
The third strike by junior doctors in their contract row with the government in England is under way.
The walkout started at 08:00 GMT and will last 48 hours - the longest one so far - but medics are once again providing emergency cover in hospitals.
It comes after ministers announced last month they would impose the contract.
More than 5,000 treatments have had to be postponed, but polling released on the eve of the stoppage shows public support for doctors is holding firm.
The poll of 860 adults by Ipsos MORI for the BBC showed 65% supported doctors going on strike - almost the same proportion as backed them ahead of the walkout last month. Some 17% said they were against the strike, a drop from 22% on last time.
The poll did show an increase in the proportion of people blaming both sides for the dispute. That now stands at 28%, up from 18%. However, the majority - 57% - still blame the government.
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The strike comes as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is hosting an international patient safety meeting in London, which was planned before the strike was announced.
NHS bosses warned the strike was going to be "difficult" for the health service as the series of walkouts was beginning to take its toll - 19,000 treatments have been postponed in total because of the three stoppages this year.
The treatments that are being hit are all non-emergency procedures, including routine operations such as hip and knee replacements.
Thousands of check-ups, appointments and tests have also been affected as well.
Media captionJunior doctors in England will be out on strike on Wednesday and Thursday. They will be available only for emergency care
Media captionThree junior doctors explain why they disagree with the government's proposals
Dr Anne Rainsberry, of NHS England, said: "This is clearly going to be a difficult couple of days. A 48-hour strike will put significantly more pressure on the NHS and the cumulative effect of these recurring strikes is likely to take a toll.
"The safety and care of patients is always our number one priority and staff across the NHS are doing all they can to minimise the impact on patients of the action."

How far apart were the two sides?

BMA badgeImage copyrightPA
  • The BMA wanted everyone who worked on a Saturday to be paid at 50% above the basic rate
  • Ministers only offered extra pay after 17:00 and at a lower rate of 30%
  • But they have agreed to top up the pay by 30% for those who work regular Saturdays - defined as at least one in four
  • Agreement was also not reached on on-call allowances, how limits on working hours are to be policed and days off between nightshifts
  • The government offered a basic pay rise of 13.5%
  • The BMA has said it was willing to accept between a 4% and 7% rise in basic pay to cover more generous weekend pay
This week's walkout is the first of three 48-hour stoppages planned by the British Medical Association as they continue their fight against the government's plans to force through the changes to their pay and conditions. The next two are planned for April.
The union has also said it will be launching a legal challenge to oppose the imposition of the contract that was announced following last month's strike.
On the eve of that walkout, government negotiators offered the BMA a last "take-it-or-leave-it" deal. It was rejected, prompting ministers to take the unprecedented step of forcing the country's 55,000 doctors to go on the new terms and conditions from the summer.
Mr Hunt said his hand was forced as the BMA was holding him to "ransom" and the changes were needed to help the NHS improve care at weekends. This is disputed by the BMA.
But Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA's junior doctor leader, said: "We deeply regret disruption to patients, and have given trusts as much notice as possible to plan ahead, but the government has left junior doctors with no choice.
"Ministers have made it clear they intend to impose a contract that is unfair on junior doctors and could undermine the delivery of patient care in the long term."

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