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| NHS employers call on Hunt to impose new junior doctor contracts | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The main NHS employers’ group has said the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, should consider imposing new contracts on junior doctors in England as they began a second 24-hour strike in protest at the proposed terms. | |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “If the BMA doesn’t accept it, our members are saying to us that the secretary of state has to find a way to bring this to a conclusion. Three thousand operations being cancelled today: we can’t carry on like this. If the BMA won’t accept a fair and reasonable offer, then yes, it is legitimate and sensible for the secretary of state to consider imposition.” | |
| Related: Junior doctors' strike: how have you been affected? | Related: Junior doctors' strike: how have you been affected? |
| Supporters of the junior doctors’ walkout immediately denounced Hopson. Clive Peedell, the leader of the National Health Action party, which opposes privatisation of the service, tweeted: | |
| .@ChrisCEOHopson Your support for imposition is a disgrace. If FTs can't recruit Drs in future, you must share blame #JuniorDoctorsStrike | .@ChrisCEOHopson Your support for imposition is a disgrace. If FTs can't recruit Drs in future, you must share blame #JuniorDoctorsStrike |
| So @ChrisCEOHopson of @NHSProviders supports imposition. If this happens and rota gaps worsen in FTs, he should resign #JuniorDoctorsStrike | So @ChrisCEOHopson of @NHSProviders supports imposition. If this happens and rota gaps worsen in FTs, he should resign #JuniorDoctorsStrike |
| As junior doctors formed picket lines at hospitals around the country, at least 2,884 non-urgent operations had been cancelled, as well as an unknown number of consultations at outpatient clinics. | As junior doctors formed picket lines at hospitals around the country, at least 2,884 non-urgent operations had been cancelled, as well as an unknown number of consultations at outpatient clinics. |
| Wednesday’s walkout followed the breakdown of last-ditch talks between the British Medical Association, NHS Employers and the Department of Health over the shape of the new contract that all of Englands 45,000 junior doctors – medics below consultant level – in England will operate under from August. | Wednesday’s walkout followed the breakdown of last-ditch talks between the British Medical Association, NHS Employers and the Department of Health over the shape of the new contract that all of Englands 45,000 junior doctors – medics below consultant level – in England will operate under from August. |
| As the strike got under way, a YouGov poll revealed that the public continues to back the strike and blames the government for failing to settle the dispute. Of those polled 49% say junior doctors are right to take action and 31% say they are wrong. Similar figures were recorded in November. The poll found more people say the government is to blame (45%) rather than the BMA (12%) while 30% say the blame is on them both. | As the strike got under way, a YouGov poll revealed that the public continues to back the strike and blames the government for failing to settle the dispute. Of those polled 49% say junior doctors are right to take action and 31% say they are wrong. Similar figures were recorded in November. The poll found more people say the government is to blame (45%) rather than the BMA (12%) while 30% say the blame is on them both. |
| At the gates of St George’s hospital in Tooting in south-west London, doctors handed out leaflets, turquoise stickers and lanyards with the caption “one profession”, while some passing motorists beeped in support. | At the gates of St George’s hospital in Tooting in south-west London, doctors handed out leaflets, turquoise stickers and lanyards with the caption “one profession”, while some passing motorists beeped in support. |
| Hannah Barham-Brown, a final-year medical student, said: “I’m here as I’m going to be a medic and want to stand up for my future colleagues. I’m also a patient at the the NHS, as I have a syndrome where joints dislocate easily. I had surgery here in December.” | Hannah Barham-Brown, a final-year medical student, said: “I’m here as I’m going to be a medic and want to stand up for my future colleagues. I’m also a patient at the the NHS, as I have a syndrome where joints dislocate easily. I had surgery here in December.” |
| Sophie Herbert, who works in A&E, said the dispute was not just about the new contract. She said: “This is a much bigger issue which the government is intentionally hiding from the media. It’s about the privatisation of the NHS. In 2012 the Health and Social Care Act provided a legal route for the privatisation of the NHS. This has already resulted in contracts being sold off to private providers. But the majority of voters do not want the health service sold off and cherish the NHS.” | Sophie Herbert, who works in A&E, said the dispute was not just about the new contract. She said: “This is a much bigger issue which the government is intentionally hiding from the media. It’s about the privatisation of the NHS. In 2012 the Health and Social Care Act provided a legal route for the privatisation of the NHS. This has already resulted in contracts being sold off to private providers. But the majority of voters do not want the health service sold off and cherish the NHS.” |
| Related: From civil rights marches to junior doctors' strikes: share your protest photos | |
| At Royal Hallamshire hospital in Sheffield, about 40 people were on the picket line. Mohammed Sharif, 26, who is training to be a GP, said : “We are already running on empty and it’s not safe for patients or junior doctors.” Sona Ghosh, 26, also training to be a GP, said junior doctors were tired. She said: “We’d love to improve services at the weekend, but stretching us out is just not the way to do it.” | At Royal Hallamshire hospital in Sheffield, about 40 people were on the picket line. Mohammed Sharif, 26, who is training to be a GP, said : “We are already running on empty and it’s not safe for patients or junior doctors.” Sona Ghosh, 26, also training to be a GP, said junior doctors were tired. She said: “We’d love to improve services at the weekend, but stretching us out is just not the way to do it.” |
| The author JK Rowling tweeted: | The author JK Rowling tweeted: |
| Speaking as a doctor's wife: pic.twitter.com/ZuEsBRlrFz | Speaking as a doctor's wife: pic.twitter.com/ZuEsBRlrFz |
| The BMA’s junior doctors leader, Johann Malawana, urged strikers to contact the BMA if they were unsure about any requests from hospitals to return to work. In a video message he pointed out that there was now an agreed protocol between NHS England and the BMA about returning to work only if there is a “major unpredictable incident”. In the first 24-hour strike Sandwell hospital ordered strikers back to work citing high demand, in what medics claimed was a pre-planned attempt to break the strike. | |
| Related: Why I left the US to work in the NHS: compassion is part of the job | Related: Why I left the US to work in the NHS: compassion is part of the job |
| The industrial action comes as leaked NHS figures indicate that the number of young medics applying to continue their career in the health service by becoming specialists has plunged to a new low, appearing to support fears that the dispute will hit recruitment. | The industrial action comes as leaked NHS figures indicate that the number of young medics applying to continue their career in the health service by becoming specialists has plunged to a new low, appearing to support fears that the dispute will hit recruitment. |
| Doctors’ leaders have described the figures as “very bad for the NHS”, especially as it is already struggling with shortages of key medical personnel in a number of areas, such as general practice and A&E. | Doctors’ leaders have described the figures as “very bad for the NHS”, especially as it is already struggling with shortages of key medical personnel in a number of areas, such as general practice and A&E. |
| Figures compiled by Health Education England and passed to the Guardian show that the number of foundation year 2 (F2) students who have applied to start training as an NHS specialist in a branch of medicine next August have fallen to just 15,855, a figure that is 1,251 fewer than in 2013 (a 9.2% drop) and 453 fewer than the 16,308 who applied last year (a 2.83% decrease). | Figures compiled by Health Education England and passed to the Guardian show that the number of foundation year 2 (F2) students who have applied to start training as an NHS specialist in a branch of medicine next August have fallen to just 15,855, a figure that is 1,251 fewer than in 2013 (a 9.2% drop) and 453 fewer than the 16,308 who applied last year (a 2.83% decrease). |