New resident doctor strikes the last thing NHS leaders want
Responding to the British Medical Association's (BMA) announcement that resident doctors
have voted for industrial action over their recent pay offer, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, which is part of the NHS Confederation, said:
“Resident doctors voting for more industrial action after the largest series of pay awards in the public sector is a troubling development. Further strikes are the last thing health leaders wanted and could result in tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of operations and procedures being delayed or cancelled, leaving patients in pain or discomfort.
“While we fully understand the concerns resident doctors and other staff groups have over their pay, conditions and training, we urge BMA members to engage with the positive and responsive direction set out in the government's recent Ten-Year Health Plan and work with trusts and the wider NHS to deliver the improvements to the working environment for resident doctors that have been agreed already.
“Our members will continue to try to provide the best care possible and maintain patient safety during any industrial action. But it’s vital that the BMA also reflect on the way in which their last strikes were conducted to see if they can find better responses to requests for help.”
