Junior doctors have defied the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, declaring three 48-hour strikes and an intention to seek a judicial review of the government’s plan to impose new contracts on them.
The industrial action, announced by the British Medical Association on Tuesday, represents an escalation of the already bitter and long-running dispute over pay, working hours and patient safety
Dr Johann Malawana, who chairs the BMA’s junior doctor committee, said: “ If the government wants more seven-day services then, quite simply, it needs more doctors, nurses and support staff, and the extra investment necessary to deliver them.
“Rather than address these issues head on, the government wants to introduce a contract that is unfair and in which junior doctors have no confidence.”
The dates planned for the industrial action, which will not affect emergency care, are 9 March, 6 April and 26 April. All are scheduled to begin at 8am. They follow two 24-hour strikes held this year, which caused thousands of operations to be cancelled.
Full story in The Guardian 23 February 2016.