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Junior doctors and government extend contract talks Junior doctors and government extend contract talks
(about 1 hour later)
Critical talks aimed at ending the bitter dispute between NHS junior doctors and the government will continue until Wednesday in an attempt to build on “progress” made to find a solution. Critical peace talks between NHS junior doctors and the government have been extended into next week in the hope that “real progress” made over the last few days will lead to a lasting settlement.
The negotiations were due to finish on Friday afternoon as part of a time-limited, week-long truce between the British Medical Association and the government. But they will now carry on until the middle of next week, still under the auspices of the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). Negotiations intended to solve the long-running dispute were meant to conclude by Friday, at the end of a five-day “truce” between the two sides.
Sir Brendan Barber, the ex-Trades Union Congress leader who now chairs Acas and has been chairing this week’s talks, said the extra time represented a final opportunity to agree a deal and thus avert junior doctors in England taking further industrial action. They have already staged stoppages on eight days since January, including two days of all-out strikes last month. Talks between the British Medical Association, Department of Health and NHS Employers will resume on Monday and continue until Wednesday, still overseen by the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).
“The talks have been conducted in a constructive and positive atmosphere. In my judgment some real progress has been made to address outstanding issues,” Barber said. Sir Brendan Barber, the chairman of Acas, who has been chairing the talks, said the extra time was “a final opportunity” to settle outstanding differences over a new contract that Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, plans to impose on all 55,000 junior doctors in England from August. Junior doctors have already staged stoppages on eight days since January, including two days of all-out strikes last month.
“I reached the view, however, in the last 24 hours that a limited amount of additional time would be needed to give the process a chance of reaching a successful conclusion.” “Both parties have committed themselves over the whole of this week to highly intensive negotiations in an effort to resolve this long-running dispute.
He said he proposed to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and the BMA that the talks should continue until Wednesday and that each side should restate the commitments they made before this round began.
“These were that the government would suspend any action towards the implementation of the proposed new contract, and that the BMA would suspend any decision on further industrial action. I am grateful that both parties have agreed to this proposal.”
Barber added: “This is a strictly time-limited extension and represents a final opportunity to find an agreement as the basis for the resolution of this difficult dispute.”
Barber urged both sides to keep details of the discussions confidential to try to keep the process on track.
“I understand that there will be considerable media interest in this issue but I hope that you will understand why my priority, and that of the parties, must be to maintain the confidentiality that has given this process a chance of finding a breakthrough.
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“Both parties asked me to make this statement to report on what progress has been made and to indicate that they will not be making any additional statements.” “The talks have been conducted in a constructive and positive atmosphere. In my judgment some real progress has been made to address outstanding issues”, said Barber, the former TUC leader.
Medical leaders welcomed the extension of the talks. The extra 72 hours is “a limited amount of additional time ... to give the process a chance of reaching a successful conclusion. This is a strictly time-limited extension and represents a final opportunity to find an agreement as the basis for the resolution of this difficult dispute”, he added.
Prof Neena Modi, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “This is positive news for government, junior doctors and, most importantly, patients.” He has asked those involved not to make any public statements about the talks, or to say anything about the other side, or to tell the media what had been discussed this week in a bid to increase the chances of a successful outcome.
While the college hoped the extra time would bring about a speedy resolution, she said, “we also wish to see open and honest recognition of the several serious issues facing health services in England of which this dispute is symptomatic and which are damaging to the health and wellbeing of infants, children and young people.” Johann Malawana, the chair of the British Medical Association’s junior doctors’ committee, will be pressed to reveal the broad outlines of a potential deal when he addresses the BMA’s junior doctors annual conference in London on Saturday. But it is understood that he will not do so before the talks conclude next week. He will instead stress the value to the NHS of junior doctors.
The BMA’s junior doctors committee will give its view on any peace deal that emerges and the union will then ballot its 45,000 junior doctors members, who will have the final say over whether or not it is the basis of a permanent deal.
Barber urged both sides to keep details of what was discussed this week confidential in a bid to keep the process on track.
Medical leaders welcomed the extension of the talks. Prof Neena Modi, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “This is positive news for government, junior doctors, and most importantly patients. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is hopeful that the additional time for talks will lead to a speedy resolution to the protracted damaging impasse over the junior doctor contract,” he added.