Chancellor Rachel Reeves told The Mirror this year’s pay deal is not up for discussion but the Government would work with resident doctors to improve working conditions
Striking doctors must step back from the brink to avoid putting patients at risk, the Chancellor has warned.
Rachel Reeves urged resident doctors to call off plans for a five-day walkout in England from 7am on July 25.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said the medics – formerly known as junior doctors – need a pay hike of 29.2% to undo nearly two decades of squeezed pay. They have been awarded a pay rise of around 5.4% pay rise for this financial year following a 22% increase over the previous two years.
The Chancellor said this year’s pay deal is not up for discussion but the Government would work with medics to improve working conditions.
She told the Mirror : “Those are fair pay rises within a generous settlement to the health service – £29billion extra a year, record investment in our NHS. I think that the public can see that those are fair settlements, generous settlements – and fair settlements within the finances that we have available.
“I am disappointed that resident doctors have jumped so quickly into industrial action. We have managed to bring down waiting lists, we have managed to deliver additional appointments. I do not want resident doctors to put that at jeopardy.”
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She added: “I would urge them to walk back from the brink, not to put patients through more pain when we’re making such good progress and working in partnership now.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is expected to meet resident doctors’ leaders in the coming days to try to avert strike action. Ministers have said they will not budge on pay but are willing to discuss other issues facing resident doctors.
Earlier today Mr Streeting said a member of his own family is waiting for an “inevitable” phone call to tell them their NHS procedure has been postponed as a result of planned resident doctor strike action. Mr Streeting also said the BMA is acting in an “unconscionable” way by telling members not to tell their employers if they are planning to strike.
Appearing at the Commons’ Health and Social Care Committee, he said: “We can mitigate against the impact of strikes, and we will, but what we cannot do is promise that there will be no consequence and no delay, no further suffering, because there are lots of people whose procedures are scheduled over that weekend period and in the period subsequently, where the NHS has to recover from the industrial action, who will see their operations and appointments delayed.
“I have a relative in that position. My family are currently dreading what I fear is an inevitable phone call saying that there is going to be a delay to this procedure. And I just think this is an unconscionable thing to do to the public, not least given the 28.9% pay rise.”
He went on: “The other thing that I have found actually shockingly irresponsible about the BMA’s position is their leaders seem to be telling their members not to inform their trusts or their employers if they’re going out on strike. Now, I might not agree with the BMA strike action, but I do accept they have a right to strike.
“I do accept they follow the rules in order to go on strike. What I cannot fathom is how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels. So I just think the sort of the BMA’s approach to this from start to finish has been completely wrong.”
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