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NHS negotiator writes to junior doctors in attempt to avert strike NHS negotiator writes to junior doctors in attempt to avert strike
(7 months later)
Sir David Dalton, the senior NHS boss trying to resolve the junior doctors dispute, has written to all of the 45,000 trainee medics involved in a last-ditch attempt to avoid next week’s planned strike.Sir David Dalton, the senior NHS boss trying to resolve the junior doctors dispute, has written to all of the 45,000 trainee medics involved in a last-ditch attempt to avoid next week’s planned strike.
Dalton made a direct personal appeal to junior doctors in a letter that risks angering the British Medical Association (BMA) by criticising the union’s alleged intransigence on key issues.Dalton made a direct personal appeal to junior doctors in a letter that risks angering the British Medical Association (BMA) by criticising the union’s alleged intransigence on key issues.
Dalton’s letter, sent on Wednesday, combines sympathy for the low morale that has been gathering among trainee doctors in England in recent years with a warning that the five-month-old dispute will rumble on even further unless a deal is agreed.Dalton’s letter, sent on Wednesday, combines sympathy for the low morale that has been gathering among trainee doctors in England in recent years with a warning that the five-month-old dispute will rumble on even further unless a deal is agreed.
In mid-January NHS junior doctors in all areas except emergency care staged a 24-hour walkout, which led to 4,000 planned operations being cancelled. They are due to hold one again from 8am on Wednesday.In mid-January NHS junior doctors in all areas except emergency care staged a 24-hour walkout, which led to 4,000 planned operations being cancelled. They are due to hold one again from 8am on Wednesday.
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Dalton, the chief executive of Salford Royal hospital, was brought in last month by Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, to act as the chief negotiator with the BMA on behalf of both NHS Employers and the Department of Health in talks, which broke down last week.Dalton, the chief executive of Salford Royal hospital, was brought in last month by Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, to act as the chief negotiator with the BMA on behalf of both NHS Employers and the Department of Health in talks, which broke down last week.
Junior doctors may see the letter as an attempt by Dalton to divide them from their union. In the letter, Dalton accuses the BMA of thwarting the chances of a deal by refusing to budge on the key sticking point in the talks – whether at least part of Saturday should be incorporated into a junior doctor’s normal working week, for which they receive only basic pay.Junior doctors may see the letter as an attempt by Dalton to divide them from their union. In the letter, Dalton accuses the BMA of thwarting the chances of a deal by refusing to budge on the key sticking point in the talks – whether at least part of Saturday should be incorporated into a junior doctor’s normal working week, for which they receive only basic pay.
His letter states: “It is clear that what is needed is a commitment on both sides to continue to talk on the key remaining issues and to find the room for settlement. Failure to do this will mean that no agreement can be reached. This would be sad in any circumstances but particularly so when there has been so much progress in the last month.His letter states: “It is clear that what is needed is a commitment on both sides to continue to talk on the key remaining issues and to find the room for settlement. Failure to do this will mean that no agreement can be reached. This would be sad in any circumstances but particularly so when there has been so much progress in the last month.
“It is really disheartening that at the end of last week the BMA declined an invitation to talk about the key outstanding issues (ie unsocial hours definition and associated payments), and have so far stated that they are unwilling to negotiate and reconsider these points at all.”“It is really disheartening that at the end of last week the BMA declined an invitation to talk about the key outstanding issues (ie unsocial hours definition and associated payments), and have so far stated that they are unwilling to negotiate and reconsider these points at all.”
Dalton, who is held in high regard in the NHS and whose hospital is widely admired, uses his long experience to burnish his credentials as someone who wants to see junior doctors achieve a good outcome over the new contract, which is due to come into force in August. He is known for giving doctors a key role in running Salford hospital, which has one of the highest staff satisfaction rates among all NHS places of care.Dalton, who is held in high regard in the NHS and whose hospital is widely admired, uses his long experience to burnish his credentials as someone who wants to see junior doctors achieve a good outcome over the new contract, which is due to come into force in August. He is known for giving doctors a key role in running Salford hospital, which has one of the highest staff satisfaction rates among all NHS places of care.
His letter adds: “I came into these negotiations with a clear view – that the contract should be safe and fair for trainee doctors and effective and affordable for the NHS. I have served the NHS for over 36 years and hold firm to its values. You can be assured that I would never act in a way which compromised those values and that I strive to treat all staff in a fair and reasonable way.”His letter adds: “I came into these negotiations with a clear view – that the contract should be safe and fair for trainee doctors and effective and affordable for the NHS. I have served the NHS for over 36 years and hold firm to its values. You can be assured that I would never act in a way which compromised those values and that I strive to treat all staff in a fair and reasonable way.”
He tells the junior doctors that “given the high level of unhappiness” among them, he has advised Hunt that the Department of Health, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents all of the UK’s 250,000 doctors professionally, Health Education England – the NHS’s staff training and education agency – and NHS Employers should “commission a review of the long-standing concerns, with recommendations to all parties for action which can improve the welfare and morale of trainees.”He tells the junior doctors that “given the high level of unhappiness” among them, he has advised Hunt that the Department of Health, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents all of the UK’s 250,000 doctors professionally, Health Education England – the NHS’s staff training and education agency – and NHS Employers should “commission a review of the long-standing concerns, with recommendations to all parties for action which can improve the welfare and morale of trainees.”
He ends the letter by saying: “I sincerely hope, for the sake of our patients, that we can find a way to move forward and quickly resolve our differences.”He ends the letter by saying: “I sincerely hope, for the sake of our patients, that we can find a way to move forward and quickly resolve our differences.”
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When the BMA announced on Monday that next week’s strike was going ahead, Dalton wrote to Hunt telling him that further talks were pointless unless the BMA agreed to negotiate on Saturday working.When the BMA announced on Monday that next week’s strike was going ahead, Dalton wrote to Hunt telling him that further talks were pointless unless the BMA agreed to negotiate on Saturday working.
Currently, junior doctors’ normal working week runs from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday. However, Hunt angered juniors by threatening to impose a contract that would extend that to 10pm on weekdays and classify Saturdays from 7am to 10pm as “plain time” – meaning normal hours – thus denying them lucrative antisocial hours payments.Currently, junior doctors’ normal working week runs from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday. However, Hunt angered juniors by threatening to impose a contract that would extend that to 10pm on weekdays and classify Saturdays from 7am to 10pm as “plain time” – meaning normal hours – thus denying them lucrative antisocial hours payments.
He offered an 11% rise in basic pay to try to bridge the gap in earnings that extending a trainee medic’s normal working week would involve, but the BMA rejected that as too little.He offered an 11% rise in basic pay to try to bridge the gap in earnings that extending a trainee medic’s normal working week would involve, but the BMA rejected that as too little.
Hunt is ready to tough out a potential series of walkouts in the belief that fewer and fewer junior doctors will take part. He also hopes that divisions within the ranks of the BMA, both within its junior doctors committee, led by Dr Johann Malawana, and between the committee and the union’s leadership, are exposed if the strikes do continue.Hunt is ready to tough out a potential series of walkouts in the belief that fewer and fewer junior doctors will take part. He also hopes that divisions within the ranks of the BMA, both within its junior doctors committee, led by Dr Johann Malawana, and between the committee and the union’s leadership, are exposed if the strikes do continue.