NHS junior doctor strike suspended as talks with government resume
NHS junior doctors have called off tomorrow's strike after agreeing to resume talks with health secretary Jeremy Hunt over controversial changes to their contract.
Thousands of junior doctors in England were set to walk out tomorrow as well as the 8 and 12 December over the government’s decision to impose a new contract on trainees.
However, the British Medical Association said that following conciliatory talks via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) the government has agreed not to impose the introduction of a new contract.
NHS Employers has also agreed to extend the timeframe for the BMA to commence any industrial action by four weeks to 5pm on 13 January 2016 to allow negotiations to progress.
In an email to its members, BMA council chair Mark Porter said: ‘Following conciliatory talks with NHS Employers and the Department of Health, we have agreed to suspend industrial action in England, which was due to begin at 8am tomorrow. The Government has also agreed not to proceed unilaterally with the introduction of a new contract.
"Today’s decision is in the best interests of patients, doctors and the NHS. It is unfortunate that we have not been able to reach agreement sooner but patients, doctors and everyone else who works across the NHS will be pleased that in the end the right decision has been made.
"A return to genuine negotiations is clearly preferable to the imposition of a new contract or industrial action and provides us with the best opportunity to deliver a contract for junior doctors which recognises the central role they play in delivering patient care across the NHS."