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Junior doctors lift mandate to strike over new contract

Junior doctors’ leaders have called off the threat of further strikes and promised to work with the government to oversee the introduction of a new contract.

Following a meeting of the BMA junior doctors committee (JDC) on Saturday, Dr Peter Campbell, the new interim chair, said that the union had lifted its mandate, meaning that further industrial action cannot take place without another ballot.

The BMA led five separate strikes between February and April this year in protest at the contract, which offers reduced rates of out-of-hours pay in order to facilitate the government’s promise of a seven-day NHS.

Recently, the BMA also called an unprecedented programme of five-day strikes in protest at the contract imposition which was then suspended, while junior doctors also lost a High Court challenge over the contract.

Dr Campbell said: “With the contract being introduced as existing contracts expire, we believe the best way of achieving the best outcome for all our members is to work with the government and NHS Employers to monitor the implementation of the contract and raise additional issues.

“JDC agreed that this is the best way to ensure that the interests of our members are safeguarded and gives us the best chance to hold the government and NHS Employers to their commitment that the contract will ensure safe working hours, will meet juniors doctors’ training needs and that the programme of work led by Health Education England to address wider concerns about training is taken forward.”

But in a Facebook post, the Junior Doctors Alliance, a pressure group of BMA members, said the decision was made without “any discussion with the mass membership of thousands of junior doctors who voted overwhelmingly to reject the deal the BMA had negotiated earlier this year, and without any openness about how it reached this decision”.

It added that it would “continue to work within and through the BMA to urge them to best represent their members”.

A DH spokesperson told NHE it is welcome news for patients that the BMA has now completely called off industrial action.

(Image c. Ben Birchall from PA Wire and Press Association Images)

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