Junior doctors in England should call off their upcoming strike if the main political parties commit to reopening talks as a priority after the general election, health leaders have said.
The NHS Confederation accused doctors of causing “real consternation” with their strike plans and said the move looked more like a publicity stunt than a constructive act aimed at finding a solution to their pay dispute.
He called on politicians and the British Medical Association to reach a compromise in a bid to avoid the disruptive strike.
The NHS Confederation, which represents health organisations, said the main parties should promise to reopen negotiations with junior doctors within 10 days of forming a new government.
In return, doctors in training should call off the strike, he added.
The NHS Confederation called on politicians and the British Medical Association to reach a compromise
Junior doctors in England are preparing to go on a full strike for five days starting at 7am on June 27.
The strike is scheduled to end just two days before voters go to the polls.
When the union announced the strike, it said that if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a “concrete commitment to restore doctors’ pay” during his campaign “that was acceptable to the BMA’s junior doctors committee, then there was no need to strikes will be carried out.”
In May, the Government and the BMA entered into mediation talks to try to resolve the dispute.
But they failed to reach an agreement before parliamentary business concluded in the run-up to the election.
The last strike by doctors in training, from February 24 to 28 of this year, caused the postponement of 91,048 appointments, operations and procedures.
Young doctors in their first year now have a basic salary of £32,300, while those with three years’ experience earn £43,900. The oldest wins £63,100
Junior doctors in England are preparing to go on a full strike for five days starting at 7am on June 27. The strike will end just two days before voters go to the polls.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare organisations, said: “The behavior of the BMA Junior Doctors’ Committee (JDC) in calling these strikes because the mediation process between them and the Sunak administration had to be suspended. because the elections have caused real consternation.
‘Striking in the middle of an election campaign can be an effective way to gain publicity, but no political party is in a position to end this long-running dispute until a new government is formed.
“The BMA JDC must reach a meaningful compromise with whoever forms the next government because of the huge impact these strikes are having on the NHS and, above all, patients.”
He said strikes leave patients “waiting for their treatments to be rescheduled, often in pain and discomfort and sometimes with worse outcomes.”
Taylor added: “The last thing healthcare leaders and their teams want is more disruption when they are working flat out to improve performance and reduce waiting lists.”
‘Some progress has been made after a very difficult winter, but this industrial action risks derailing that course.
‘We urge politicians of all stripes – who may have friends, family or constituents who rely on the NHS – to commit to starting talks with the BMA within 10 days of taking office and, in return, ask the BMA to respond by stopping this planned plan. breaking off.
“If they can reach an agreement, at least there will be something positive in this election campaign.”
The NHS Confederation has said that even if strikes are not called off, parties should commit to formally engaging with the BMA within the first 10 days of forming a new government.
Around 1.5 million appointments have been postponed since the current strike wave in NHS England began in December 2022, and the service saw many groups of staff on picket lines, including paramedics, consultants, nurses and physiotherapists.
Sunak has blamed the move for his government’s failure to significantly reduce waits.
Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, accused the NHS Confederation of having “little understanding” of what is needed to resolve the dispute.
They added: ‘Matthew Taylor is wrong to say that we called this strike because talks were put on hold for the elections; We called a strike because the government repeatedly failed to make a credible offer.
‘Let’s be clear: these strikes can be stopped right now, if the Prime Minister publicly commits to restoring the salaries of doctors we deem credible.
“While we would welcome recognition by all parties of the need to address doctor pay erosion, 20 months into this dispute, the promise of new talks that go nowhere and unnecessarily extend this dispute will not be enough for young doctors.