The union behind the trainee doctors' strike has been urged to 'come back to the table' and negotiate, amid warnings that their latest strike comes at the 'worst possible time' for the healthcare system.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has coordinated the three-day action, which runs from 7am this morning, in a bid to secure an even bigger pay rise than the 12 per cent the government has already offered. It previously demanded a 35 percent increase.
Health leaders have warned that patients could become 'stranded' in hospitals over Christmas, while thousands of crucial appointments and operations have been canceled and emergency departments forced to close.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, warned that the move has come at the last minute.worst possible time of year when the healthcare system is already overwhelmed by a surge in demand due to Covid, flu and norovirus.
Ministers this morning urged trainee doctors to 'come back to the table' to negotiate with the government.
Junior doctors today kicked off their 26th day of industrial action this year. The action ends at 7am on Saturday, before a new six-day strike – the longest in the history of the NHS – begins at 7am on January 3. Pictured: Junior doctors strike outside University College Hospital in London on December 12
The BMA has claimed that trainee doctors have seen their salaries fall by 35 per cent in real terms over the past fifteen years. Pictured: Junior doctors strike outside University College Hospital in London on December 12
NHS bosses had already warned that hospitals will only operate at full capacity for four weekdays until January 10. Only December 27, 28, 29 and January 2 are not affected by the impending chaos of the holidays and strikes until January 10.
Health Minister Victoria Atkins told the BMA to call off the strikes to restart talks.
She said: 'We know that, despite these measures and the hard work of NHS staff, these strikes could cause significant disruption for patients and put additional pressure on the NHS.
“My door remains open if the BMA Junior Doctors Committee cancels these disruptive strikes and returns to the negotiating table as we are making good progress.”
Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, told LBC Radio: 'What the junior doctors need to do now – they are the ones who walked away from the table – is come back to the table.
'What they really shouldn't be doing is putting people into these very difficult situations, in this very difficult period for the NHS, where the pressures are much more acute.
“They walked away, we opened our door wide to continue these discussions.
“We've made some progress, but they really should come back to the table now. It's very disappointing that they did what they did.”
Junior doctors today kicked off their 26th day of industrial action this year. The action ends at 7am on Saturday, before a new six-day strike – the longest in the history of the NHS – begins at 7am on January 3.
It comes after talks between doctors and the government collapsed.
The government had initially offered trainee doctors an average pay increase of 8.8 percent for the 2023/2024 financial year. However, the increase was larger for first-year doctors, who received a boost of 10.3 percent.
Ministers insisted this was the final offer, despite weeks of devastating strikes by trainee doctors since March.
But Ms Atkins, who took over from Steve Barclay last month, offered medics a further 3 per cent on top of this increase.
Dr. However, Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, who co-chair the BMA's junior doctors committee, said this amount was still 'completely insufficient' and have pressed ahead with further strikes.
The BMA has claimed that trainee doctors have seen their salaries fall by 35 per cent in real terms over the past fifteen years.
The trainee doctors have demanded full pay reinstatement and have said they would not settle for anything less, although senior figures within the union have suggested they could reach compromises.
Ms Atkins has since said the union walked away from the table before the government presented its 'final offer'.
The couple said today: 'It is extremely disappointing to be in this position. We had hoped that, following a much improved tone and approach from the new Health Minister, Mrs Atkins, we would be close to a resolution to this dispute.
“We were encouraged last week by her insistence that even after our mutually agreed deadline passed and we were forced to call new strikes, we still had not heard her 'final offer'.
“We have been waiting for this final offer for the past two weeks, hoping that it would be the long-awaited, credible offer we could make to our members. Unfortunately, we have yet to hear it.”
The government has refused to talk to unions if strikes are planned and the union has said it is “ready to speak at any time” and has called for this approach to be abandoned.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has coordinated the three-day strike, which runs from 7am this morning, in a bid to secure an even bigger pay rise than the 12 percent the government has already offered. It previously demanded a 35 percent increase
Professor Powis warned that the strikes are hitting at a time when hospitals are already facing winter pressures in the form of rising flu and Covid cases. 'TIt will be a challenging period and we will see disruptions again,” he said.
He said: 'We want to keep patients safe, the BMA have also stated that they want to keep patients safe, and we will ensure that we have a laser focus on ensuring that our most urgent and emergency routes are in place.'
He added: 'This will be a disruptive period – three days this week, six days – the longest period of strike action we have ever seen – at the start of the new year.
'Of course that's after the New Year festivities where we see activity picking up, so it's that second period of strike action in January that concerns us most.'
Professor Powis said he was 'disappointed that negotiations failed', but said deals reached with other doctor groups showed it was 'possible to make progress'.
Junior doctors in Wales are planning a 72-hour strike from January 15, while trainee doctors in Northern Ireland are facing possible strike action. Those in Scotland have already reached an agreement with the Scottish Government.
Consultant doctors from the BMA in England have reached a deal with the government, with members currently voting on whether to accept the deal.
Specialists, associate specialists and specialist doctors (SAS) in England have also reached an agreement, which is being presented to members.