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| BMA in a 'total mess' over junior doctors dispute, says insider | BMA in a 'total mess' over junior doctors dispute, says insider |
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| The British Medical Association is in a “total mess” over the junior doctors dispute and is pushing ahead with plans for a series of week-long strikes despite having “lost the battle” with Jeremy Hunt, a senior figure in the union has said. | |
| BMA leaders are backing the walkouts partly because they want to avoid junior doctors breaking away and forming their own union, the well-placed source told the Guardian. | BMA leaders are backing the walkouts partly because they want to avoid junior doctors breaking away and forming their own union, the well-placed source told the Guardian. |
| The insider’s admissions came as Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS in England, added his weight to the growing criticism of the doctors’ union. Stevens said the service could not cope with the loss of 50,000 medics withdrawing cover in areas of emergency care. | The insider’s admissions came as Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS in England, added his weight to the growing criticism of the doctors’ union. Stevens said the service could not cope with the loss of 50,000 medics withdrawing cover in areas of emergency care. |
| “We should be in no doubt that it will not be possible to ensure there will be no harm to patients, even with several weeks’ notice, if we are talking about multiple weeks of up to 50,000 doctors not being available for emergency care at hospitals across this country,” Stevens said at the NHS Expo in Manchester. | “We should be in no doubt that it will not be possible to ensure there will be no harm to patients, even with several weeks’ notice, if we are talking about multiple weeks of up to 50,000 doctors not being available for emergency care at hospitals across this country,” Stevens said at the NHS Expo in Manchester. |
| “The vital importance of junior doctors to the NHS can never be underestimated and so it is not just about the notice period, it is about the impact that action would have.” | “The vital importance of junior doctors to the NHS can never be underestimated and so it is not just about the notice period, it is about the impact that action would have.” |
| Stevens asked the BMA to call off the strikes. “No good for patients will come out of the kind of action that is still on the table,” he said. | Stevens asked the BMA to call off the strikes. “No good for patients will come out of the kind of action that is still on the table,” he said. |
| “What it means is that patients who needed their outpatient appointment or their operation are having those deferred and, where it is a day or two, then the hospitals have been able to cope, but when it is repeated, blocks of perhaps five days at a time, then the potential impact for urgent care, and the knock-on for patients with very substantially high-risk conditions, is far greater.” | “What it means is that patients who needed their outpatient appointment or their operation are having those deferred and, where it is a day or two, then the hospitals have been able to cope, but when it is repeated, blocks of perhaps five days at a time, then the potential impact for urgent care, and the knock-on for patients with very substantially high-risk conditions, is far greater.” |
| The BMA source, who asked not to be named, said: “The BMA are in a total mess. We have lost the battle [over junior doctors’ contracts] lock, stock and barrel.” | The BMA source, who asked not to be named, said: “The BMA are in a total mess. We have lost the battle [over junior doctors’ contracts] lock, stock and barrel.” |
| On Monday the BMA called off a five-day strike it intended to hold next week. Junior doctors had been set to refuse to work in hospitals across England between 8am and 5pm, even in critical departments such as A&E, maternity services and intensive care. The climbdown followed a revolt by grassroots trainee medics, who feared the BMA had not given the NHS long enough to prepare for the walkout. | On Monday the BMA called off a five-day strike it intended to hold next week. Junior doctors had been set to refuse to work in hospitals across England between 8am and 5pm, even in critical departments such as A&E, maternity services and intensive care. The climbdown followed a revolt by grassroots trainee medics, who feared the BMA had not given the NHS long enough to prepare for the walkout. |
| Significantly, the call-off was initiated by Porter and Dr Ellen McCourt, the chair of the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee, and not by the committee itself. | Significantly, the call-off was initiated by Porter and Dr Ellen McCourt, the chair of the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee, and not by the committee itself. |
| The BMA is under growing pressure to cancel three other all-out five-day strikes, scheduled for October, November and December. Leaders of many of the medical royal colleges, which represent different types of doctors, fear that hospitals will not be able to cope with the disruption to services that such sustained action would involve. | The BMA is under growing pressure to cancel three other all-out five-day strikes, scheduled for October, November and December. Leaders of many of the medical royal colleges, which represent different types of doctors, fear that hospitals will not be able to cope with the disruption to services that such sustained action would involve. |
| Another well-placed BMA source said the organisation was “in meltdown at the moment” over the planned strikes, which has fractured the medical profession’s previous unity over junior doctors. Some senior medics – consultants – accuse the BMA of endorsing walkouts that are reckless, disproportionate and will ruin the public’s trust in doctors. | Another well-placed BMA source said the organisation was “in meltdown at the moment” over the planned strikes, which has fractured the medical profession’s previous unity over junior doctors. Some senior medics – consultants – accuse the BMA of endorsing walkouts that are reckless, disproportionate and will ruin the public’s trust in doctors. |
| Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: “Despite next week’s strike having been postponed, many patients will already have been inconvenienced and will now need their appointments rescheduled. This strike action will continue to harm the NHS and lead to a huge backlog that will take months to clear, unnecessarily prolonging patients’ suffering and pain in the process. | Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: “Despite next week’s strike having been postponed, many patients will already have been inconvenienced and will now need their appointments rescheduled. This strike action will continue to harm the NHS and lead to a huge backlog that will take months to clear, unnecessarily prolonging patients’ suffering and pain in the process. |
| “We are urging the BMA to go one step further and cancel all remaining strikes. Failure to do so will only bring further distress, delay and pain to patients.” | “We are urging the BMA to go one step further and cancel all remaining strikes. Failure to do so will only bring further distress, delay and pain to patients.” |
| He said hospital bosses were not sure they could guarantee patients’ safety during five-day strikes. | He said hospital bosses were not sure they could guarantee patients’ safety during five-day strikes. |
| The BMA insider said the union’s ruling council, which voted 16-11 to back the fresh series of strikes, was “totally divided” over what to do next, given the health secretary’s refusal to lift his threat to impose the new contract on all 54,000 junior doctors in England from next month. | The BMA insider said the union’s ruling council, which voted 16-11 to back the fresh series of strikes, was “totally divided” over what to do next, given the health secretary’s refusal to lift his threat to impose the new contract on all 54,000 junior doctors in England from next month. |
| “The BMA’s aims are totally confused. Council members are saying that the BMA is in a no-win situation whatever happens. The BMA leadership fear that if they don’t do enough to support junior doctors, junior doctors will declare UDI, say that the BMA has let them down and go it alone.” | “The BMA’s aims are totally confused. Council members are saying that the BMA is in a no-win situation whatever happens. The BMA leadership fear that if they don’t do enough to support junior doctors, junior doctors will declare UDI, say that the BMA has let them down and go it alone.” |
| Some junior doctors are questioning the purpose of the strikes, given Hunt’s refusal to lift his threat of imposition, and the risk to patients they involve. | Some junior doctors are questioning the purpose of the strikes, given Hunt’s refusal to lift his threat of imposition, and the risk to patients they involve. |
| “The BMA has not even defined the aims of this latest industrial action and cannot strike on that basis. You can’t do things like this without having worked out your strategy first,” one junior doctor said. | “The BMA has not even defined the aims of this latest industrial action and cannot strike on that basis. You can’t do things like this without having worked out your strategy first,” one junior doctor said. |