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Junior doctors await court decision over contract Junior doctors lose High Court case
(about 11 hours later)
Junior doctors are waiting to hear whether England's High Court will agree to stop the government imposing a new contract. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has won a High Court fight with junior doctors in England over a new contract.
The group Justice for Health says it mounted the legal challenge because the contract is "unsafe and unsustainable". The group Justice for Health mounted a legal challenge arguing the contract was "unsafe and unsustainable" and the government did not have the power to impose it.
The Department of Health says the case is without merit. But the Department of Health had said the case was without merit.
Ministers insist the new contract is needed to improve levels of medical cover in hospitals at weekends so that the NHS can deliver seven-day services. The ruling comes just a week before the new terms and conditions are due to start to be rolled out.
The dispute over the contract, which is due to be rolled out from October, has already led to thousands of hospital operations and appointments being cancelled during a series of junior doctor strikes. Ministers have insisted the contract is needed to improve levels of medical cover in hospitals at weekends so that the NHS can deliver seven-day services.
The dispute has led to six separate strikes by junior doctors, including the first-ever all-out stoppages in the history of the NHS.
Junior doctors had planned a run of five-day strikes in the four months leading up to Christmas, but recently called these off following concerns over patient safety.Junior doctors had planned a run of five-day strikes in the four months leading up to Christmas, but recently called these off following concerns over patient safety.
In May, it looked as though a breakthrough had been reached in the dispute after both sides agreed to a new deal.In May, it looked as though a breakthrough had been reached in the dispute after both sides agreed to a new deal.
But the government announced in July that it would impose a new contract after junior doctors and medical students voted to reject the deal.But the government announced in July that it would impose a new contract after junior doctors and medical students voted to reject the deal.
The High Court will consider three areas: The High Court considered three areas:
The medics argue that, although Mr Hunt is entitled to "recommend" a new contract, he is attempting to go significantly further even though he has no power to decide the terms and conditions under which the NHS and other bodies should employ junior doctors. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We must now move on from this dispute to the crucial job of making sure patients get the same high standards of urgent and emergency care every day of the week, which involves more than the junior doctors' contract.
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association has invited the health secretary to take part in a conference this autumn to discuss ways to make care more consistent over the whole week. "We urge the BMA to remove all threat of further industrial action so we can work constructively with junior doctors to address their wider concerns and better recognise their vital importance to the NHS."
Mr Hunt had argued the new contract was needed to help create more seven-day services in the NHS.
In a letter to the health secretary, the union said it was made in "good faith" to try to find solutions to some of the issues raised during the long-running dispute.