Junior doctors will hold crunch talks with Government aimed at ending NHS pay dispute next week
Junior doctors say they are “willing listen” as they meet with Government officials next week for talks to avoid further NHS strike action.
However the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have said while they are keen to resolve the dispute, pay will not be on the table.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said: “We have agreed to talks with DHSC.
“We will be meeting with them next week and will listen to what they have to say.”
A DHSC spokesman said: “We are pleased the BMA Junior Doctors’ Committee has agreed to enter talks, in the hope we will find a resolution and end the dispute.
“We have been clear headline pay will not be on the table as doctors have already received a fair and reasonable pay rise as recommended by the independent pay review body, which we’ve accepted in full.
“This means doctors who started their hospital training this year have received a 10.3 per cent pay increase, with the average junior doctor getting 8.8 per cent.”
The meeting is expected next week, although no date has yet been fixed.
Consultants are also due to meet with the Government in an effort to resolve their separate dispute.
Top hospital doctors represented by the BMA have said they will not call any more strikes until November to allow time for talks.
The BMA has also said specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors in England will meet the Government for talks.
The BMA has said that junior doctors need a pay rise of 35 per cent to restore wages to 2008-2009 levels.
Junior doctors and consultants held joint strikes for the first time in the history of the health service in September and earlier this month in what has been described as a “serious escalation” in their row with the Government over pay.
It meant thousands of operations and appointments had to be rescheduled, and left hospitals with Christmas Day-style cover.
Additional reporting by Press Association
