Jeremy Hunt instructed by Tory MP to offer junior medical doctors extra cash to finish strikes
A former Tory Cabinet minister has referred to as on Jeremy Hunt to supply junior medical doctors extra money to finish a 12 months of strikes within the NHS.
Theresa Villiers appealed to the Chancellor to lastly “end” the long-running dispute throughout an intervention within the Commons. Last month, junior medical doctors in England took half in an unprecedented 144-hour walkout – the longest strike motion within the historical past of the NHS.
The Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet and former minister Ms Villiers mentioned: “Can the Treasury find funds for increased pay offer for junior doctors? Completely agree that we must safeguard the public finances… but if ever there was a group that deserved a pay rise it is junior doctors and we need to get the dispute settled.”
But Mr Hunt instructed his Tory colleague that junior medical doctors had a “very fair offer”. He added: “It’s an offer that has been higher than was recommended by the Independent Pay Review Body and it is about double the rate of this year’s predicted inflation.”
The British Medical Association (BMA) final month threatened additional strike motion and the union has additionally confirmed it should re poll its members to increase its strike mandate for one more six month. The consequence is because of be introduced in March.
The BMA has requested the Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to “fully restore pay” with a 35% enhance, however medics have mentioned this doesn’t have to come back “in one go”. The Government has mentioned junior medical doctors acquired a pay rise this 12 months of between 8.1% and 10.3%, and described the 35% demand as “not reasonable or affordable, even over several years”.
Just final week, Rishi Sunak additionally instructed putting junior medical doctors the federal government doesn’t have a “magic money tree” – regardless of additionally floating the concept of pre-election tax cuts. He instructed ITV’s This Morning: “We don’t have a magic money tree. And we have to be fair to everybody,” he mentioned throughout an look on This Morning.
“A million other NHS workers have all actually come to a reasonable agreement with the Government. Every other bit of the public sector has come to a reasonable agreement. I think what we’ve done is fair, it’s reasonable, it’s been endorsed by an independent body.”
Prof Phil Banfield, BMA chair of council, instructed The Mirror: “Even Conservative MPs agree that if ever there was a group deserving to be more fairly paid, it is junior doctors. It is the Chancellor and Rishi Sunak who are delaying a fair resolution to this dispute. Mr Hunt can either prove that he has learned from his time as Health Secretary about the dangers of an underfunded NHS, or he can use his power as Chancellor to simply let things continue to get worse. The choice is his.”
