More strike action announced by junior doctors

The British Medical Association (BMA) claim Jeremy Hunt, health secretary, failed to undertake an equality impact assessment (EIA) prior to the government imposing new terms and conditions on junior doctors.

The changes include curbing of the junior doctors’ pay package and changes to what is classed as “unsociable hours.”

Guaranteed pay increases linked to time in the job are also expected to be scrapped and replaced with a system linked to progression through set training stages.

As a result, the BMA will launch a judicial review and its members will walk out on strike for three 48-hour periods - the first of which will begin at 8am next Wednesday, March 9.

Dr Johann Malawa, BMA junior doctors’ committee chairman, said: “This is yet another example of the incompetence which the government has demonstrated throughout its handling of the dispute.

“Imposing this contract will seriously undermine the ability of the NHS to recruit and retain junior doctors in areas of medicine with the most unsocial areas, where there are already staffing shortages”The strike action, which will involve all junior doctors, except those on-call to provide emergency cover, will take place from 8am on Wednesday until 8am on Friday.

A spokesman for Rotherham Hospital said: “As with the previous industrial action related to the junior doctors' dispute, we are undertaking detailed planning to minimise the effects on patients.

“We will have more details about the impact of the strike in Rotherham closer to the time of the action.”

The BMA also plans to hold two further 48-hour strike from April 6 to 8 and April 26 to 28.