Doctors are striking in an attempt to ‘bring down’ the Government
The hugely damaging walkouts by junior doctors have cost the NHS around £1billion this year.
Ministers urged the British Medical Association to halt its latest strike – the fifth so far – amid growing acrimony over the long-standing pay dispute.
But Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairman of the junior doctors’ committee at BMA, said the Conservative government in Westminster was “hell-bent on using the rigged independent pay review bodies to suppress our pay”.
Junior doctors in Scotland called off a planned strike last month after a new pay offer from the SNP-led government for a 12.4 per cent pay increase next year and a 4.5 per cent increase this year.
Asked if he could accept that kind of deal in England, Dr Laurenson said: “No, because the governments are very different.
“[With] the Scottish government, there’s a basis to work forwards and have a working relationship to negotiate in the future.”
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A source close to Health Secretary Steve Barclay hit back: “Their mask has slipped.
“This is a clear admission from the BMA junior doctors’ leadership that their strikes are part of a politically-motivated campaign aimed at bringing down the Government.
“This action is not in the interests of ordinary doctors in training or of patients.
“We are delivering a fair pay award averaging 8.8 per cent for doctors in training with 10.3 per cent for the lowest earners. The BMA should end strikes immediately.”
Scores of placard-wielding junior doctors staged a rally outside Downing Street as members of the BMA began their four-day walkout. A stage was set up and the song Vossi Bop by Stormzy – which features the lyrics “**** the Government and **** Boris” – was played over the speakers.
Junior doctors are seeking a salary hike of 35 per cent.
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It comes as almost 835,000 appointments have been cancelled or postponed as a result of industrial action since December in England, according to NHS figures.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned the figure could close in on one million following this month’s strikes by junior medics and consultants and a potential further two-day strike by consultants next month.
Sir Julian warned trusts “could be close to a tipping point” after official data showed the NHS waiting list had climbed to a record high of 7.6 million in June.
Some of those taking to the picket line yesterday only started working for the NHS nine days ago, having newly graduated.
Mr Barclay urged the BMA to end the strike and accept the pay deal. He said: “I am concerned about the impact on patients. We have accepted in full the recommendations of the independent pay review body.”
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Rishi Sunak said the deal, announced last month for 2023/24, was the Government’s “final offer”. Nurses, paramedics and other NHS staff received a five per cent rise and “backlog bonus’.
It means from 2023/24 junior doctors will earn from £32,000 and up to £63,000, for the most senior. But Dr Laurenson said: “He’s not at home, he’s in Disneyland, and he needs to come back to the real world.”
The BMA has more than 180,000 members. The other doctors’ union is the Hospital Consultants & Specialists Association.
Dr Vivek Trivedi of the BMA said to protesters: “For 15 years the Government has undervalued us, they’ve ignored us, they’ve abused us, they’ve exploited us and they’ve inflicted pay cut after pay cut after pay cut.”
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