UK Edition
Junior doctors' new contract will be imposed from October, says Jeremy Hunt
The Government will impose a new contract on junior doctors from October, Jeremy Hunt has announced, heralding the possibility of further rounds of strikes.
The Health Secretary made the announcement after junior doctors and medical students voted decisively to reject the negotiated deal between the British Medical Association (BMA) in a referendum.
In his statement to Parliament, Mr Hunt excoriated the BMA for its conduct during the protracted dispute.
He said proceeding with the contract was the only way to end the current impasse.
“Unfortunately because of the vote we are now left in a no-man’s land that, if it continues, can only damage the NHS,” he said.
“An elected government whose main aim is to improve the safety and quality of care for patients has come up against a union which has stirred up anger amongst its own members it is now unable to pacify.”
The vote, which saw a 58 per cent vote reject the May deal between the Government and BMA on a 68 per cent turnout, prompted the immediate resignation of Johann Malawana as chair of the Junior Doctors’ Committee.
Mr Hunt said: “I was not a fan of the tactics used by the BMA but to its credit their leader Dr Malawana did in the end negotiate a deal and work hard to get support for it.
“Now he has resigned it is not clear that there is anyone able to deliver the support of the BMA members for any negotiated settlement.”
The Health Secretary pledged to impose the terms and conditions negotiated in May in stages from October this year to October 2017.
Shadow Health Secretary Diane Abbot criticised Mr Hunt for casting junior doctors as “the enemy within”, and urged him to give negotiations a final try.
“The NHS is only as strong as the morale of its staff,” she said.
But Mr Hunt said talks started three years ago and there was now no consensus after yesterday’s vote.