Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
A planned strike by resident doctors in England next week may be avoided following a new proposal from the government to the British Medical Association (BMA). The union representing the doctors has agreed to present this updated offer to its members in the coming days. If the members approve, the scheduled five-day strike, set to begin on Wednesday, 17 December, could be canceled.
The government’s proposal includes a swift increase in the number of specialist training positions and financial support for doctors to cover certain expenses such as exam fees. However, it does not offer any additional pay rises. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has maintained a firm stance against discussing pay increases, emphasizing that resident doctors—previously known as junior doctors—have already received nearly 30% salary increases over the past three years.
Part of the agreement involves introducing emergency legislation that would allow the NHS to prioritize doctors who have studied and worked in the UK when filling specialty training slots, which doctors typically enter during the third year of their training. This year’s competition for these positions was intense, with approximately 30,000 applicants vying for 10,000 posts. Under current rules, overseas doctors are assessed on an equal footing with UK-trained doctors. The government also pledged to raise the total number of specialty training places by 4,000, with 1,000 positions becoming available starting next year.
The BMA will now carry out a consultation with resident doctors in England to determine whether the offer is acceptable and sufficient to call off the strike. An online survey will be available until Monday, 15 December. Should members indicate support, a formal referendum will be held, allowing them to carefully review the offer’s details and decide whether to end the dispute. If members reject the proposal, the strike is expected to proceed as planned. Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, acknowledged the role of strike action in achieving this progress, while noting that the offer still fails to address pay concerns. He stated, “It should not have taken strike action, but make no mistake: it was strike action that got us this far.” He added, “This offer does nothing to restore pay for doctors, which remains well within the government’s power to do.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.