Jeremy Hunt and Conservative government to impose new contracts on doctors

Jeremy Hunt delivered a statement to the Commons on the junior doctors' contract after the Government failed to reach a deal with the British Medical Association (BMA).

The Health Secretary said that the new contracts are a “decisive step” in creating a system which will be “safer” for patients and “fairer” for doctors.

Mr Hunt said: “This process has generated considerable dismay among junior doctors. It’s one that in time can command confidence both for the workforce and their employers.

“No government of health secretary can responsibly ignore the evidence that hospital mortality rates are higher on the weekend and evidence that standard of care on the weekend is lower.”

He added: “The lessons are that patients suffer when governrmrnts drag their feet on high hospital mortality rates and we should offer the highest care in the world."

However, Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor committee chair, said: “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.

"Instead it wants to impose a flawed contract on a generation of junior doctors who have lost all trust in the Health Secretary.

“Junior doctors already work around the clock, seven days a week and they do so under their existing contract. If the Government want more seven-day services then, quite simply, it needs more doctors, nurses and diagnostic staff, and the extra investment needed to deliver it.

"Rather than addressing these issues, the Health Secretary is ploughing ahead with proposals that are fundamentally unfair.

“This is clearly a political fight for the Government rather than an attempt to come to a reasonable solution for all junior doctors. If it succeeds with its bullying approach of imposing a contract on junior doctors that has been roundly rejected by the profession it will no doubt seek to do the same for other NHS staff.

"It is notable that the rest of the UK has chosen a different, constructive path on junior doctors’ contracts with only the Health Secretary in England choosing imposition over agreement.

“The Government’s shambolic handling of this process from start to finish has totally alienated a generation of junior doctors – the hospital doctors and GPs of the future, and there is a real risk that some will vote with their feet.

“Our message to the Government is clear: 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, and we will consider all options open to us.”

The Government made a ''best and final'' offer to the BMA on Wednesday afternoon as thousands of doctors were on strike, which was rejected.

The Government's chief negotiator, Sir David Dalton, who was drafted in to broker a deal, has written to Mr Hunt to say talks have reached the ''end of the road''.

The major sticking point has been the issue of weekend pay - with the Government insisting Saturdays be largely classed as a normal working day. The BMA rejects this and says Saturdays should attract a premium rate of pay.

The BMA has called on Mr Hunt to accept its own pay model and withdraw his threat to force through the changes.

Thousands of junior doctors returned to work from 8am on Thursday after staging a second 24-hour strike across England.

In a letter to Mr Hunt on Wednesday, the BMA's junior doctors committee chairman, Dr Johann Malawana, urged him to accept the BMA's proposal to reduce the 11% rise in basic pay offered by the Government in return for better premium rates on Saturdays.

''This would give you the cost neutrality you seek and junior doctors the appropriate recognition for evenings, nights and weekends,'' he said.

''If you are able to accept this model and withdraw the threat of imposition, we believe that our dispute with the Government would be concluded, leading the way to detailed discussion about implementation.''

Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attracts a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

An offer from the Government in November said doctors would receive time-and-a-half for any hours worked Monday to Sunday between 10pm and 7am, and time-and-a-third for any hours worked between 7pm and 10pm on Saturdays and 7am and 10pm on Sundays.

In a further offer, ministers said that as part of an overall agreement, a premium rate of pay could kick in from 5pm on Saturdays rather than 7pm, and at 9pm Monday to Friday.

This was rejected by the BMA.

The contracts involve reducing the maximum amount of hours junior doctors can work from 91 hours to 71 hours, the maximum number of consecutive nights from seven to four and the maximum number of long days from seven to five.

Doctors working more than one in four Saturdays in a row will receive a pay premium of 30 per cent.

The proposed 11 per cent pay rise will now be raised to 13.5 per cent under the scheme.

Mr Hunt said this will mean three out of four doctors will see take home pay rise.