Junior doctors' strike: Thousands to go on strike sparking fears of mass NHS disruption

The British Medical Association revealed 98 per cent of members said they were prepared to take strike action
Junior doctors' demonstrating against their proposed new contract
Rex
Jamie Bullen19 November 2015

Junior doctors have voted in favour of going on strike following a bitter row with the Government over a new contract.

Thousands of medics in England are expected to walk-out on December 1 after 98 per cent of those balloted said they were prepared to take strike action.

More than 37,000 members were sent ballot papers by the British Medical Association (BMA). The union said the voter turnout was 76 per cent.

The walk-out is expected to spark considerable disruption to the NHS with hospitals forced to cancel outpatient clinics and non-urgent operations.

Following the Yes vote, junior doctors will only provide emergency care for 24 hours from 8am on December 1, followed by full walkouts from 8am to 5pm on December 8 and 16.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the strikes, called for during a dispute over pay and conditions regarding a new proposed contract, were "totally unwarranted" and would harm patients but doctors said the Government had threatened them to agree to the deal.

Mr Hunt tried to avert strike action with a last ditch deal in which he offered an per cent rise in basic pay and overtime pay after 7pm on Saturday evenings, a concession on the previous 10pm.

He argued that just one per cent of doctors would lose pay because of the deal and those were limited to doctors working too many hours already.

He added maximum working hours per week would fall from 91 to 72 under the new deal.

However, the BMA said the increase in basic pay was "misleading".

Johann Malawana, the BMA's junior doctor committee chairman, said the increase would be "offset by changes to pay for unsocial hours - devaluing the vital work junior doctors do at evenings and weekends".

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