Striking doctors fight imposition of contracts but Labour “neutral” on walkout

The head of the body representing NHS Trusts sparked fury by urging Jeremy Hunt to override the views of striking doctors and impose on them the controversial new contracts.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, called for a tougher government approach as around 37,000 medics joined the 24-hour walk-out at 8am today.

He spoke out as Labour again condemned the “utter shambles” which led to the strikes, now in their second wave.

Hopson urged the Department of Health to make a “fair and final reasonable offer”, which should be accepted by doctors’ group the British Medical Association, but told the BBC:

“If the BMA doesn’t accept it, I think our members are saying to us that the Secretary of State has to find a way to bring this to a conclusion.

“If the BMA won’t accept a fair and reasonable offer then, yes, it is legitimate and sensible for the Secretary of State to consider imposition.”

His comments were criticised by doctors on the picket line and on social media. Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor committee chair, said: “Today’s action is a resounding rejection of the Government’s threat to impose an unfair contract, in which junior doctors have no confidence.

“We deeply regret the disruption caused to patients, but this is a fight for the long-term delivery of high quality patient care, for junior doctors’ working lives and for ability of the NHS to rise to the enormous challenges facing it.”

Heidi Alexander, the shadow Health Secretary, opposed the imposition of a new contract and called for Hunt to re-start negotiations.

“Today’s industrial action is deeply disappointing, particularly for the patients who have had hospital treatment delayed because of it.

“The sad truth is that it didn’t have to come to this. Jeremy Hunt’s handling of these negotiations has been a complete and utter shambles. His comments over the past few weeks and months have caused widespread anger among junior doctors and left staff morale at rock bottom.”

Labour has, however, avoided pledging full support for the strike and the uneasy approach of the frontbench was underlined when Lord Falconer, shadow Justice Secretary, told the BBC: “We are not ambivalent in supporting the cause of the doctors… So we support their cause but we are neutral in relation to the industrial action.”

Public support for the strike remains strong with 64 per cent of people blaming the Government for “the dispute lasting this long” and 13 per cent blaming doctors, according to an IPSOS Mori poll for the Health Service Journal. A further 18 per cent said both sides were “equally at fault”.

Among several points of dispute the BMA opposes the extension of standard hours, currently 7am to 7pm, to finish at 10pm.

Ninety-eight per cent of junior doctors balloted were in support of the strike. The previous strike on 12 January resulted in over 150 pickets across the UK, according the the BMA, and the cancellation of more than 4,000 operations.