Response to junior doctors' vote for industrial action
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and CMO Sally Davies on British Medical Association's (BMA's) ballot for industrial action by junior doctors.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:
It is regrettable that junior doctors have voted for industrial action which will put patients at risk and see operations cancelled or delayed. We want to ensure patients have the same quality of care across the week, and have put forward a generous offer that increases basic pay by 11% and reduces doctors’ hours.
We hope junior doctors will consider the impact this action – especially the withdrawal of emergency care – will have on patients and reconsider.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said:
I recognise the strong feeling of junior doctors and will always support them as the future of the NHS, but the severity of the action the BMA proposes is a step too far. I urge junior doctors to think about the patients that will suffer and I ask the union to reconsider its approach.
Updates to this page
Published 19 November 2015Last updated 19 November 2015 + show all updates
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Statement by CMO Sally Davies added.
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First published.