This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/junior-doctors-accuse-jeremy-hunt-of-handling-contract-crisis-absolutely-abysmally-as-second-full-a7003186.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Junior doctors accuse Jeremy Hunt of handling contract crisis 'absolutely abysmally' as all-out strike continues | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| As thousands of junior doctors join picket lines nationwide for unprecedented strike action, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt believes history will judge him on his ability to deliver a seven-day health service. | As thousands of junior doctors join picket lines nationwide for unprecedented strike action, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt believes history will judge him on his ability to deliver a seven-day health service. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Hunt said: “Health secretaries are never popular. But what history judges is, did you take the tough and difficult decisions that enable the NHS to deliver high-quality care for patients? For me, that’s what it’s about.” | Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Hunt said: “Health secretaries are never popular. But what history judges is, did you take the tough and difficult decisions that enable the NHS to deliver high-quality care for patients? For me, that’s what it’s about.” |
| Junior doctors picketing outside Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel had zero sympathy for what Mr Hunt perceives as a difficult job. | Junior doctors picketing outside Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel had zero sympathy for what Mr Hunt perceives as a difficult job. |
| “I can sympathise that making difficult decisions is very tough, doctors do that every day. But when you make those decisions on information you have interpreted incorrectly and don’t speak to the people who carry out the decisions you make – that is entirely wrong and I can’t sympathise in anyway.” | “I can sympathise that making difficult decisions is very tough, doctors do that every day. But when you make those decisions on information you have interpreted incorrectly and don’t speak to the people who carry out the decisions you make – that is entirely wrong and I can’t sympathise in anyway.” |
| “I think it’s a difficult job for anyone to be Health Secretary – it’s certainly not a job that I would want, having said that, there needs to be a dialogue. When you work in a workforce which doesn’t trust the Health Secretary, there’s no way we can meaningfully move forward from this. I do sympathise with him but he’s handled this whole process absolutely abysmally.” | “I think it’s a difficult job for anyone to be Health Secretary – it’s certainly not a job that I would want, having said that, there needs to be a dialogue. When you work in a workforce which doesn’t trust the Health Secretary, there’s no way we can meaningfully move forward from this. I do sympathise with him but he’s handled this whole process absolutely abysmally.” |
| “It’s a very difficult job being a doctor when you’re not supported by your employer – we’re trying to look after people’s lives. He’s making a short-term view for headlines in papers and political gains.” | “It’s a very difficult job being a doctor when you’re not supported by your employer – we’re trying to look after people’s lives. He’s making a short-term view for headlines in papers and political gains.” |
| “I think anyone working at the sort of level, affecting so many people in such a huge service, it’s difficult. However, I think he’s gone about it in completely the wrong way. Doctors and the Government have historically always worked together to produce a service that has run – every service has problems there’s no doubt about that – but there has always been an NHS and a service run since the time it began and now we’re at a stage where the two are at heads with each other. He’s destroyed that relationship; the doctors have lost faith in the Government and the Health Secretary.” | “I think anyone working at the sort of level, affecting so many people in such a huge service, it’s difficult. However, I think he’s gone about it in completely the wrong way. Doctors and the Government have historically always worked together to produce a service that has run – every service has problems there’s no doubt about that – but there has always been an NHS and a service run since the time it began and now we’re at a stage where the two are at heads with each other. He’s destroyed that relationship; the doctors have lost faith in the Government and the Health Secretary.” |
| “Obviously it’s a difficult job but I don’t think there’s anyone working in the NHS who would sympathise with how he’s handled the current crisis. The implications on morale of junior doctors will have massive implications on the running of the NHS for years to come; and that’s what has been unforgiveable about his handling of the situation.” | “Obviously it’s a difficult job but I don’t think there’s anyone working in the NHS who would sympathise with how he’s handled the current crisis. The implications on morale of junior doctors will have massive implications on the running of the NHS for years to come; and that’s what has been unforgiveable about his handling of the situation.” |
| “It might be junior doctors today but I think a lot of his rhetoric shows that it might be nurses or others tomorrow. So we’re here now, we’re not just here for us, we’re here other professions that might be in this situation soon. This really goes a lot deeper than the contract.” | “It might be junior doctors today but I think a lot of his rhetoric shows that it might be nurses or others tomorrow. So we’re here now, we’re not just here for us, we’re here other professions that might be in this situation soon. This really goes a lot deeper than the contract.” |
| Statistics from NHS England on Tuesday showed 78 per cent of junior doctors did not attend work on the first day of the all-out stoppage. | Statistics from NHS England on Tuesday showed 78 per cent of junior doctors did not attend work on the first day of the all-out stoppage. |