British health sec. adamant on new contract despite junior doctors‘ opposition

Britain’s Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, says he will impose a controversial new contract on junior doctors in a bid to end a dispute that has resulted in strikes.

The new contract which is aimed to deliver consistent service seven days a week was announced by Hunt in House of Commons on Thursday. That’s after thousands of medical trainees returned to work following a second 24-hour strike in about a month.

Speaking in parliament, Hunt said the government should do what is right for both doctors and patients after the British Medical Association (BMA) rejected a “best and final” offer.

The health secretary blamed the BMA for the failure of months of negotiation to end the chaos saying the union was unwilling to compromise.  

The recent walkouts by junior doctors left hospitals and medical centers with only emergency care. Doctors are angry on a new contract proposed by Hunt that will see those working longer odd-hours shifts without compensation. They are also opposed to an 11% wage hike on normal shifts. Doctors have staged several protests over the past several months to denounce the measures.

Hunt announced Thursday for a basic pay rise to 13.5%, which is 2% more than the 11% he previously offered. But he remained adamant on the contract; the imposition of which he said would cause “considerable dismay” among doctors.  

Junior doctors have reacted angrily to the Hunt’s announcement with some threatening to quit the National Health Service. The union that earlier threatened to ‘consider all options’ in continuing fight, branded Hunt a “bully”. “Junior doctors cannot and will not accept a contract that is bad for the future of patient care, the profession and the NHS as a whole”, the union said.

The BMA also accused the government of denying a fair deal. “The decision to impose a contract is a sign of total failure on the government’s part. Instead of working with the BMA to reach an agreement that is in the best interests of patients, junior doctors and the NHS as a whole the government has walked away, rejecting a fair and affordable offer put forward by the BMA”, Dr Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, said. 

The contract is being debated for months. A poll conducted by the British media this week showed a whopping 90% of the junior doctors said they would prefer to leave the NHS if the government enforces the measure.  

Malawana also said the imposition could prompt a generation of “alienated” junior doctors to choose not to continue their careers in the NHS.

Some key activists are pressing for their next move, though the union’s leadership fear that a hasty industrial action would damage the strong public support they have been enjoying.

A YouGov poll suggests a strong public support for Wednesday’s strike, with many Britons blaming the government for failing to settle the dispute with junior doctors.

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