Next week’s junior doctors’ strike off

The British Medical Association has called off the junior doctors’ strike due to take place in England next week amid concerns about patient safety.

The BMA said it was not backing down in the fight over a new contract.

It said strikes in October, November and December would go ahead unless the government negotiates a new deal.

Medical leaders and hospital managers had warned the short notice – the walkout was only announced last week – meant care would be put at risk.

And the General Medical Council had urged doctors to re-consider the stoppage, warning they could face regulatory action because the timing and length of the walkout would mean care was inevitably compromised.

The BMA said the decision was made after a meeting with officials from NHS England.

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Junior doctors leader Dr Ellen McCourt said: “Patient safety remains doctors’ primary concern.

“While the BMA provided more than the required notice, we have taken this decision to ensure the NHS has the necessary time to prepare and to put in place contingency plans to protect patient safety.

“Our hospitals are chronically understaffed, our NHS is desperately underfunded – we have to listen to our colleagues when they tell us that they need more time to keep patients safe.

“Future action is still avoidable. The BMA has repeatedly said it will call off further action if the government puts a halt to plans to force junior doctors to work under a contract they have rejected because they don’t believe it is good for the future of patient care or the profession.”

The contract is due to start being imposed from October.

A Department of Health spokesperson welcomed the announcement, saying the BMA should be “putting patients first not playing politics in a way that will be immensely damaging for vulnerable patients”.

But they added that thousands of patients will have already been inconvenienced as operations and treatments will have already been postponed ahead of the stoppage.

Chris Hopson, of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said it was the right decision as the health service had been given “barely any notice to prepare”.

“We continue to urge the BMA to call off the remaining strikes to prevent further distress, delay and pain to patients.”

Next week’s strike – which was due to occur between 08:00 and 17:00 BST from Monday to Friday – was to be the first of four all-out five-day stoppages during the rest of the year.

The remaining strikes take place during the same hours each day on:

Wednesday 5 October to Tuesday 11 October (although the weekend will be covered)
Monday 14 November to Friday 18 November
Monday 5 December to Friday 9 December

The stoppages come after junior doctors have already taken part in six strikes this year, including two one-day all-out stoppages.

Industrial action was put on hold in May when the two sides got back round the table at conciliation service Acas.

That resulted in the agreement of a new contract, which BMA leaders encouraged members to accept.

But when it was put to the vote, 58% of medics rejected it, prompting the resignation of the BMA junior doctor leader Johann Malawana and causing ministers to announce once again that they would impose the new terms and conditions.

A new junior doctor leader, Dr McCourt, was appointed and, in August, the committee she leads called for the union’s leaders to sanction the fresh strikes which have now been announced.