...By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Union leaders have held “constructive” talks with Health Secretary Steve Barclay, raising hopes of a resolution to the ongoing junior doctors’ dispute.
The British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee held several hours of talks with Barclay on Tuesday, shortly after the NHS Staff Council agreed to accept the government’s pay offer.
Junior doctors have held two rounds of industrial action in a pay dispute, with the union seeking a 35% pay rise to reverse what they calculate to be a 26% pay cut since 2008.
A BMA spokesperson said that there is significant work to do, and both parties will meet again in the coming days.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) confirmed on Tuesday night that it would reballot members for a further six months of strike action after rejecting the government’s pay offer.
The offer includes a one-off lump sum with an additional 5% pay rise for the next financial year.
While the union’s previous strike ballot was disaggregated by individual NHS Trust, the upcoming ballot will apply nationally.
This means that nurses would walk out of every hospital in England during a potential strike.
Unite has also vowed to keep striking.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, urged ministers to release the money for NHS staff as soon as possible and to ensure that local NHS leaders do not have to cover the increased cost from their existing budgets.
He warned that failure to do so would have an extremely negative impact on patient care at a time when there are still millions of people on waiting lists.
Talks With Health Secretary Raise Hopes of Resolution
Union leaders and Health Secretary Steve Barclay held “constructive” talks, raising hopes of a resolution to the ongoing junior doctors’ dispute.
The British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee met with Barclay on Tuesday after the NHS Staff Council agreed to accept the government’s pay offer.
The union has been seeking a 35% pay rise to reverse what they calculate to be a 26% pay cut since 2008.
Both parties will meet again in the coming days to continue discussions.
RCN Reballots Members for Strike Action
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has confirmed it will reballot members for a further six months of strike action after rejecting the government’s pay offer.
The offer includes a one-off lump sum and an additional 5% pay rise for the next financial year.
The RCN’s previous strike ballot was disaggregated by individual NHS Trust, but the upcoming ballot will apply nationally.
This means that nurses would walk out of every hospital in England during a potential strike.
Unite has also vowed to keep striking.
Calls to Release Money for NHS Staff
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, urged ministers to release the money for NHS staff as soon as possible and to ensure that local NHS leaders do not have to cover the increased cost from their existing budgets.
He warned that failure to do so would have an extremely negative impact on patient care at a time when there are still millions of people on waiting lists.
The talks between union leaders and the Health Secretary are a positive development in the ongoing junior doctors’ dispute.
Both parties will meet again in the coming days to continue discussions.
The RCN’s decision to reballot its members for strike action shows that the dispute is far from over.
Matthew Taylor’s call for the government to release the money for NHS staff as soon as possible is critical to avoid any negative impact on patient care.
