Militant medical doctors launch poll for extra devastating strikes as they demand a 26 per cent pay rise
Militant resident doctors are to vote on extending their strike mandate for a further six months as they pursue a 26 per cent pay rise.
The British Medical Association would be free to inflict chaos on the NHS until August if members back the move in a major blow to patients.
The medics, previously known as junior doctors, have already received a pay rise worth 28.9 per cent over the past three years but are seeking even more.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has accused the ‘morally reprehensible’ BMA of acting like a ‘cartel’ and of trying to hold the country to ransom over their demands.
He has tried to drive a wedge between doctors and their union, writing to them directly before their last strike earlier this month to outline proposals for improving their working conditions and pleading with them to cross picket lines and report for duty.
Support for strikes appears to be waning among resident doctors, with fewer than half of those eligible to vote backing walkouts at the last ballot.
The doctors cost the health service around £300million each time they walkout for five days, while also hampering efforts to cut waiting lists.
Health leaders warn that further action would force hospitals to cut frontline services as the burden of paying consultants overtime to cover for absent colleagues blows an unmanageable hole in their budgets.
Striking doctors munch on donuts on the picket line
It comes a day after the BMA was accused of ‘hypocrisy’ for offering its own staff a pay rise of just 2 per cent, sparking a formal dispute with the GMB union, which represents over three in four of its employees.
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said health service leaders ‘will be incredibly disappointed’ at the BMA’s decision to re-ballot its members.
‘We know that strikes have had a major financial impact on the NHS already, with the last five-day walkout estimated to have cost a staggering £300 million,’ she said.
‘With these costs not included in the health service’s budgets, future strikes will force NHS leaders to make difficult choices, including reducing staff and patient services to try and balance the books.’
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee, said: ‘A new mandate for strikes should not be necessary.
‘We should have been able to put this dispute to bed months ago with a responsible deal on jobs and pay.’
The last walkout by resident doctors took place from November 14 to 19.
The ballot to extend the strike mandate will run from December 8 until February 2.
Health secretary Wes Streeting
Medics will be asked if they are prepared to take action over a lack of jobs and severe pay erosion, the BMA said.
Mr Streeting said: ‘It is disappointing to see the BMA threatening further unnecessary strike action which harms patients, the NHS and resident doctors themselves.
‘After a 28.9 per cent pay rise over the last three years and the highest pay awards across the whole public sector for the last two, resident doctors can see this is a Government that backs them.
‘The Government made an offer that would improve the career progression and job opportunities of resident doctors, and lower the professional costs of being a doctor.
‘The BMA rejected it without even putting it to their members. It is the BMA that is blocking a better deal for its members.
‘Instead of indulging in more damaging strike action, the BMA should get back around the table and work with us to rebuild our NHS.’
