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| Jeremy Hunt ramps up rhetoric over imposing contract on doctors | Jeremy Hunt ramps up rhetoric over imposing contract on doctors |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jeremy Hunt has revived his threat to “impose” a new contract on junior doctors, despite government lawyers and his own ministry having said that he was merely “introducing” it. | Jeremy Hunt has revived his threat to “impose” a new contract on junior doctors, despite government lawyers and his own ministry having said that he was merely “introducing” it. |
| His stance deepened the confusion over the government’s tactics towards NHS trainee medics and the uncertainty surrounding his legal right to impose updated terms and conditions on them. | His stance deepened the confusion over the government’s tactics towards NHS trainee medics and the uncertainty surrounding his legal right to impose updated terms and conditions on them. |
| Responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons granted to Labour, the health secretary said: “Yes, we are imposing a contract with the greatest of regrets.” | Responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons granted to Labour, the health secretary said: “Yes, we are imposing a contract with the greatest of regrets.” |
| His use of the word, for the first time in more than two months, appeared at odds with both the government legal department and the Department of Health, which confirmed last Friday and Sunday respectively that Hunt was merely “introducing” the contract in England from August. | His use of the word, for the first time in more than two months, appeared at odds with both the government legal department and the Department of Health, which confirmed last Friday and Sunday respectively that Hunt was merely “introducing” the contract in England from August. |
| Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, accused him of provoking junior doctors to undertake their first all-out strikes next week by threatening to use imposition, not agreement. | |
| “Despite giving us all the impression back in February that he was going to railroad through a new contract, it now seems the health secretary is simply just making a suggestion – or, as his lawyers would say, ‘approving the terms of a model contract’,” she said. | “Despite giving us all the impression back in February that he was going to railroad through a new contract, it now seems the health secretary is simply just making a suggestion – or, as his lawyers would say, ‘approving the terms of a model contract’,” she said. |
| “How can the health secretary possibly justify a situation whereby his rhetoric, underpinned by nothing but misplaced bravado and bullishness, could lead to the first ever all-out strike of junior doctors in the history of the NHS?” | “How can the health secretary possibly justify a situation whereby his rhetoric, underpinned by nothing but misplaced bravado and bullishness, could lead to the first ever all-out strike of junior doctors in the history of the NHS?” |
| Hunt denied that the government had changed its policy from imposition to introduction. “This house has been updated regularly on all developments relating to the junior doctors’ contract, although there has been no change whatsoever in the government’s position since my statement to the house in February.” | Hunt denied that the government had changed its policy from imposition to introduction. “This house has been updated regularly on all developments relating to the junior doctors’ contract, although there has been no change whatsoever in the government’s position since my statement to the house in February.” |
| But government lawyers have told solicitors acting for five junior doctors seeking a judicial review of his decision to impose that he was merely introducing the document, which has already prompted four walkouts by thousands of junior doctors since January. They believe Hunt has acted outside his powers | But government lawyers have told solicitors acting for five junior doctors seeking a judicial review of his decision to impose that he was merely introducing the document, which has already prompted four walkouts by thousands of junior doctors since January. They believe Hunt has acted outside his powers |
| Despite being pressed by several MPs to outline the exact legal basis of his power to impose the contract, Hunt was unable or unwilling to identify what legislation enables him to do so. | Despite being pressed by several MPs to outline the exact legal basis of his power to impose the contract, Hunt was unable or unwilling to identify what legislation enables him to do so. |
| Lawyers for the medical quintet challenging him in the high court claim that the Health and Social Care Act 2012, when then health secretary Andrew Lansley intended to limit the health secretary’s power over the NHS, meant that Hunt was exceeding his powers by deciding on 11 February to impose the contract after two months of peace talks with the British Medical Association failed. | Lawyers for the medical quintet challenging him in the high court claim that the Health and Social Care Act 2012, when then health secretary Andrew Lansley intended to limit the health secretary’s power over the NHS, meant that Hunt was exceeding his powers by deciding on 11 February to impose the contract after two months of peace talks with the British Medical Association failed. |