Junior doctors vote to continue strike action

There have been 10 walkouts by junior doctors since the first one in March last year. The British Medical Association has asked for a 35% pay rise. Two-thirds of junior doctors are members of the BMA. The vote result means the union has a strike mandate for a further six months.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson described the result as #34;disappointing. They said the BMA needed to come back to the negotiating table with reasonable expectations so a fair deal could be found for the NHS, doctors and patients. Junior doctors received a pay rise averaging nearly 9% this financial year. The BMA wants a 35% pay increase to make up for what it says is 15 years of below-inflation pay rises.

There have been no formal talks since the December negotiations ended. The BMA is boycotting the pay review process for next year, by refusing to provide evidence. Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, said the ballot marked another worrying escalation of the dispute. She urged both sides to find a solution, adding further strikes would lead to more disruption to patient care.

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