Health Secretary Steve Barclay has accused ‘militant’ unions of making ‘unrealistic’ pay demands as junior doctors prepare for four days of walkouts this week.
Junior doctors in England are preparing to take industrial action from Tuesday amid demands for a 35 per cent pay rise to make up for 15 years of below-inflation salary rises.
Health bosses are understood to be more concerned about the impact of the latest walkouts than any other strike so far, with hospitals facing nearly 100 hours without up to half of their medical workforce.
But Mr Barclay, who has been accused of failing to put a ‘credible’ offer on the table, said the pay demands are ‘out of step with pay settlements in other parts of the public sector’.
Writing for The Sunday Telegraph, he said the British Medical Association (BMA) Junior Doctors Committee is ‘intent on maintaining a militant stance rather than working with the Government and NHS management to meet the best interests of their members and of patients’.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has accused ‘militant’ unions of making ‘unrealistic’ pay demands as junior doctors prepare for four days of walkouts this week
Striking NHS junior doctors on the picket line outside Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham last month
NHS England National Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis has warned the strikes will cause ‘unparalleled levels of disruption’
He added: ‘The Junior Doctors Committee is calling for a pay increase of 35 per cent. This demand is widely out of step with pay settlements in other parts of the public sector at a time of considerable economic pressure on our country.
‘A salary hike of this size would see some junior doctors receiving more than an extra £20,000 a year.’
Mr Barclay said there is ‘no prospect’ of serious discussions with the union until it shifts its 35 per cent pay rise demand.
The Health Secretary continued: ‘I remain determined to find a fair and affordable offer that recognises the important work of junior doctors within the NHS while protecting the Government’s commitment to halve inflation – just as we have done with the trade unions representing other NHS staff including nurses and paramedics.
‘We cannot, however, negotiate until the BMA confirms it is pausing next week’s strike and moving significantly from its position of 35 per cent.
‘Without this, I regrettably see no prospect of getting into serious and constructive talks. I urge the BMA to work constructively with us so we can find a rapid resolution to this dispute.’
His comments come as the national medical director of the NHS has warned Britons face the ‘most disruptive strike’ in the health service’s history.
Sir Stephen Powis has urged the public to ‘use services wisely’ and ‘think twice’ before attending A&E amid fears that up to a quarter of a million appointments and operations could be postponed.
He told Times Radio: ‘I think this is going to be the most disruptive strike that we’ve seen in NHS history.
‘Last time, when we had three days of industrial action a few weeks ago, over 175,000 appointments and procedures had to be rescheduled and I expect we will see considerably more this week.
Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctors’ committee
Junior doctors in England are preparing to take industrial action from Tuesday amid demands for a 35 per cent pay rise to make up for 15 years of below-inflation salary rises
‘So the message to the public is quite clear. We’ll be prioritising emergency services, maternity care and critical care. If you do you have a life-threatening condition of course continue to call 999 and access A &E. But for all other conditions, then really use services wisely and go to 111 online as your first port of call.’
‘I think services will be fragile this week. Because it’s a significant part of the workforce that are likely not to be there.’
Warning the public about attending A&E this week, he added: ‘There will be additional pressure on A and E departments, for instance, because the staffing there will be lower.
‘We are asking the public to think twice before you go [to A&E]. Of course if it’s a severe illness, you should be going, that’s a very important message. But use other services where they’re available such as pharmacies, such as I say one one online.
‘So our priority is to keep patients safe. The BMA have said they wish to do that as well. We will be talking to the BMA throughout the period of industrial action to make sure those operational parts of this are working.
‘But services as I say, they will be fragile, and we will see a lot of disruption. And unfortunately, a lot of rescheduling of appointments and procedures.’
The British Medical Association has said the industrial action could still be avoided if the Government makes a ‘credible offer’, but the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has insisted the strikes must be called off before any negotiations take place.
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said as many as 250,000 postponed appointments and operations could be postponed
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, and Health Secretary Stephen Barclay visit St George’s hospital in London last month
An ambulance passes and gives support to junior doctors holding placards as they picket by the roadside outside Queen’s Hospital in Romford
The NHS will continue to prioritise emergency, critical and neonatal care, as well as maternity and trauma services, but inevitably hundreds of thousands of appointments, including in cancer care, are likely to need postponing again.
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said as many as 250,000 postponed appointments and operations could be postponed.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘In the last junior doctors’ strike we saw about 175,000 appointments and operations having to be postponed.
‘In terms of the disruption that we’re anticipating this time, we reckon it could be up to about a quarter of a million so that is a huge amount of impact for patients up and down the country.’
She added: “What we’re hearing from our members who are health leaders across the whole system is that they are more concerned about this than they have been about about any other strike.
‘They think that the impact is going to be so significant that this one is likely to have impact on patient safety and that is a huge concern for every healthcare leader.’
The disruption could last up to 10 or 11 days, with strike set between the Easter bank holiday and another weekend, she said.
Dr Mike Greenhalgh, deputy co-chair of the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee, told BBC One’s Breakfast show: ‘It’s hard to negotiate when only one side is doing it and we’re not getting anything back from the Government on that front.’
He added: ‘We’re happy to meet at any time. We would still meet him over the bank holiday weekend before the industrial action next week.
‘And if he was to bring a credible offer to us, it could still, even at this late stage, avert action.’
Dr Greenhalgh apologised to patients who have had operations or appointments cancelled and insisted patient safety would not be put at risk.
‘Patient safety was maintained at the last strikes, and it will be in these strikes,’ he said.
BMA workforce lead Dr Latifa Patel said there was a jointly agreed system in place with NHS England to ensure patient safety.
‘We met with NHS England four times per day during the last strikes to monitor the situation, but there were no requests for a derogation – a temporary stoppage of the industrial action – to be made,’ she said.
The four days of strikes will come immediately after the Easter bank holiday weekend. They will run from 6.59am on Tuesday until 6.59am on Saturday April 15.
