Hunt imposes new contract deal on junior doctors

The Government will impose a contract on junior doctors across England, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told MPs.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells MPs that the Government will impose a contract on junior doctors across England.Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells MPs that the Government will impose a contract on junior doctors across England.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells MPs that the Government will impose a contract on junior doctors across England.

Mr Hunt said it had been a “difficult decision” to take but the NHS needed certainty, including in light of the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

The announcement comes a day after the doctors voted to reject a contract deal between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Government.

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It was a blow to the BMA, which had encouraged doctors to agree the new terms.

But 58% voted against the proposed contract while 42% voted in favour. Some 68% of those eligible turned out to vote on the deal - some 37,000 junior doctors and medical students.

Junior doctors in England who are members of the BMA voted in the referendum on the new deal, which followed months of tense negotiations between the BMA and the Government.

They were joined by final and penultimate year medical students in the vote.

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The BMA held more than 130 roadshows across England to show doctors and medical students details of the new contract.

Six strikes have taken place across England during the dispute, causing disruption to hundreds of thousands of patients who have had appointments and operations cancelled.

In May, it looked as though a breakthrough had been reached in the dispute after both sides agreed to a new deal.

Under it, Saturdays and Sundays would attract premium pay if doctors - the vast majority of whom are expected to - work seven or more weekends in a year.

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Doctors would receive a percentage of their annual salary for working these weekends - ranging from 3% for working one weekend in seven to up to 10% if they work one weekend in two.

Any night shift - on any day - which starts at or after 8pm and lasts more than eight hours, and which finishes at or by 10am the following day, would also result in an enhanced pay rate of 37% for all the hours worked.

The deal also set out payment for doctors who are on call, and agreed a basic pay increase of between 10% and 11%.