Next week’s 48-hour strike by junior doctors in England is suspended as Acas talks continue between the British Medical Association and the government.
The proposed strike from 8am on Tuesday, 26 January to 8am on Thursday, 28 January would have meant that junior doctors only provided emergency care during those hours, with thousands of operations and procedures affected.
They took industrial action on 12 January, only providing emergency cover during a one-day walkout.
BMA junior doctor committee chair, Dr Johann Malawana, said: “Following junior doctors’ clear message to the government during last week’s action, our focus is now on building on early progress made in the current set of talks.
“On this basis, the BMA has today taken the decision to suspend the industrial action planned for 26-28 January, thereby giving trusts as much notice as possible so as to avoid disruption to patients.”
But Dr Malawana said “differences still exist between the BMA and the government on key areas, including the protection of patient safety and doctors’ working lives, and the recognition of unsocial hours” and that “significant, concrete progress will need to be made if future action, currently planned for 10 February, is to be averted”.
The dispute centres on a new contract which the government says will increase doctors’ pay by 11 per cent, but at the same time curb payments doctors currently receive for working unsociable hours on weekends and evenings.
Currently doctors are paid a premium to work on Saturday and Sunday, however, under the new contract these will be classed as normal working days.
The government says the changes are needed to create more seven-days services, but the BMA warns safeguards to keep a lid on excessive hours are being weakened.
On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron said the government has not ruled out imposing its new contract on junior doctors if talks do not resolve the dispute.
He said giving up the option of imposing a contract would effectively hand a “veto” to the BMA over the future development of the NHS.