Prime Minister’s Plea to Local Doctors

The Prime Minister has asked local doctors not to follow their union’s lead in the upcoming strike campaign, which is set to begin on Friday. He believes that this would cause "an enormous loss for the NHS and the country". The British Medical Association (BMA) has been criticized for "rushing" into strikes.

Dispute Over Salary

Resident doctors, also known as junior doctors, are set to start a five-day strike in England in a dispute over pay. The BMA has stated that it is "very sorry that strikes have become necessary" and that they are "something that doctors don’t want to do".

Recent Developments

The Prime Minister’s comments come after the Health Minister expressed deep regret over the "position we are now in". The government has offered a 22% pay rise for resident doctors, but the BMA claims that this is still 20% lower than in 2008, even after the increase. The BMA wants pay to be restored to the level it was 17 years ago, claiming that their pay has been eroded.

Government’s Stance

The Health Minister has said that the government cannot afford to pay more, but is "ready to negotiate on areas related to their working conditions and career progress". The government believes that the salary contract is "the highest pay award of the entire public sector for junior doctors". The Minister has outlined three areas where he believes "we could work together to achieve real improvements", including reducing "tedious" training and making it clearer what is expected of doctors.

Strike Preparations

NHS England wants to carry out most non-urgent care, such as knee and hip operations, during the strike. However, the BMA believes that this approach is not safe and that non-urgent care should be canceled in many cases to ensure that emergency services are better covered. Local doctors have been involved in 11 strikes in their longstanding pay dispute, leading to the cancellation of over one million treatments and appointments.

Concerns Over Patient Care

High-ranking doctors are being asked to provide coverage, but there are concerns about the effects on emergency and non-urgent care. NHS England’s national director has expressed concerns that canceling non-urgent care could harm patients who have waited a long time for treatment. He believes that "you cannot decouple elective and emergency care, the two go together".

Criticism of Shift Rates

NHS managers have criticized the shift rates being asked by leading doctors to provide coverage for striking residents. They claim that the strike is a "crushing blow" for patients and that the costs are a "big concern". The BMA has recommended that senior doctors ask for premium rates, which can exceed £300 for night shifts for consultants. This could mean that they earn triple what they would normally earn.

BMA’s Response

The BMA has said that doctors need to be incentivized to take on this additional work. They believe that the strikes could have been avoided if a "real way" had been made to restore the "lost value" of pay. The BMA is still open to further discussions about a solution to the dispute.