According to the health secretary, the junior doctors’ union seems to be determined to maintain a militant stance, which is obstructing meaningful discussions about pay.
Junior doctors in England are preparing to go on a four-day strike from Tuesday over pay disputes.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for a 35% pay rise to compensate for 15 years of below-inflation wage increases, citing a recruitment and retention crisis as a result of the falling pay.
However, the BMA claims that Health Minister Stephen Barclay has not made a serious offer to resolve the issue. The strike is scheduled to start at 7:00 BST on Tuesday and end at 7:00 BST on Saturday, making it longer than previous strikes.
The NHS Confederation, which represents health service trusts, has warned that up to a quarter of a million operations and appointments may have to be postponed due to the strike, with health bosses expressing greater concern about this than any other strike.
The BMA has declined to exempt any services but assures that it has plans in place to safeguard patients.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis has warned that the strike will result in “unprecedented levels of disruption,” as it takes place after the bank holiday, during which many staff members are taking time off.
According to Health Minister Stephen Barclay, the timing of the four-day strike just after the bank holiday and during school holidays, Ramadan, and Passover, has been intentionally chosen to cause maximum disruption. He also stated that the junior doctors’ pay demands are not in line with other public sector pay settlements and suggested that some doctors could receive an additional £20,000 per year if their wage demands were met. While Barclay expressed his desire to reach a fair deal that would increase doctors’ pay, he also claimed that serious and constructive talks could not take place unless the strike was called off, and the BMA revised its pay demands. The BMA, on the other hand, maintains that junior doctors’ pay has decreased by 26% since 2008 when inflation is taken into account.
Junior doctors account for over 40% of the medical workforce, ranging from recent graduates to experienced doctors with over a decade of experience, with approximately two-thirds of them being members of the BMA. In a ballot held in February, 98% of eligible BMA members voted in favor of strike action, with a turnout of 77%.
Dr. Mike Greenhalgh, Deputy Chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, stated that falling pay has led to a recruitment and retention crisis in the healthcare system. He added that it is difficult to negotiate when only one side is making an effort, and they have yet to receive a credible offer from the government.
During the previous strike last month, hospitals brought in consultants to cover for the junior doctors, but around a quarter of them were on leave during the Easter holidays. The BMA has refused to exempt any services but claims to have plans in place to protect patients, including the withdrawal of junior doctors from the picket line if necessary to save lives.
The government has assured that it is working with NHS England to prepare contingency plans to ensure patient safety during the strike, prioritizing resources for emergency treatment, critical care, maternity and neonatal care, and trauma.