Junior docs and consultants to go on joint strike for first time in NHS historical past

Junior docs and consultants in England will take joint strike motion for the primary time over 4 days throughout September and October, the British Medical Association (BMA) has introduced.

The BMA stated consultants will strike on 19 and 20 September with Christmas Day ranges of canopy, whereas junior docs will even stroll out on 20 September with comparable ranges of canopy adopted by strikes on 21 and 22 September.

Both consultants and junior docs will strike once more on 2, 3, and 4 October with Christmas Day ranges of canopy, in what the union stated was the primary joint strike between consultants and junior docs in NHS historical past.

BMA junior physician committee co-chairs Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi stated: “Today, junior doctors across England are sending a single message, loud and clear to the government: we are not going anywhere.

“We are ready to proceed with our industrial motion, however we do not have to – the prime minister has the facility to halt any additional motion by making us a reputable supply that we will put to our members.

“Refusing to negotiate with us and with our consultant colleagues is not the way ahead.”

The union stated it was persevering with motion within the autumn in opposition to the “backdrop of a hugely understaffed and under-resourced health service”.

It stated the poll for industrial motion for junior docs had been renewed for an extra six months, with 98.4% voting in favour on a 71% turnout.

“Junior doctors and consultants have seen their pay drop in real terms by over a third in the past 15 years,” the BMA stated.

It claimed that the federal government was refusing to enter talks with both junior docs or consultants.

The newest strike motion comes after junior docs staged 19 days of walkouts throughout March this yr, in a protracted operating dispute over pay and dealing circumstances.