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| MPs call for pilot of junior doctors contract to avoid strike action | MPs call for pilot of junior doctors contract to avoid strike action |
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| A cross-party group of MPs has called on Jeremy Hunt to limit his new junior doctors contract to a pilot scheme in a bid to avert the first “total” walkout in NHS history. | A cross-party group of MPs has called on Jeremy Hunt to limit his new junior doctors contract to a pilot scheme in a bid to avert the first “total” walkout in NHS history. |
| Amid warnings that the army might be called in to support crisis-hit hospitals, the health secretary was urged to limit his new contract for weekend working to a small number of trusts before introducing it across England. | Amid warnings that the army might be called in to support crisis-hit hospitals, the health secretary was urged to limit his new contract for weekend working to a small number of trusts before introducing it across England. |
| The proposal, negotiated by Labour with the British Medical Association (BMA), could see junior doctors abandon the unprecedented all-out strike set for Tuesday and Wednesday. | The proposal, negotiated by Labour with the British Medical Association (BMA), could see junior doctors abandon the unprecedented all-out strike set for Tuesday and Wednesday. |
| Labour’s Heidi Alexander, Conservative Dr Dan Poulter, Lib Dem Norman Lamb and the SNP’s Dr Philippa Whitford told Hunt in a letter that they wanted an independent evaluation of the so-called “weekend effect” which sees higher mortality rates for patients admitted at weekends. | Labour’s Heidi Alexander, Conservative Dr Dan Poulter, Lib Dem Norman Lamb and the SNP’s Dr Philippa Whitford told Hunt in a letter that they wanted an independent evaluation of the so-called “weekend effect” which sees higher mortality rates for patients admitted at weekends. |
| The move comes after the health secretary announced he would impose the contested contract, whether or not it had the support of the BMA. | The move comes after the health secretary announced he would impose the contested contract, whether or not it had the support of the BMA. |
| The letter explains that concerns have been raised about the impact of the contract, were it imposed, and the MPs say they believe the BMA would not go ahead with next week’s strike if the government agreed to the proposal. | The letter explains that concerns have been raised about the impact of the contract, were it imposed, and the MPs say they believe the BMA would not go ahead with next week’s strike if the government agreed to the proposal. |
| The home secretary, Theresa May, suggested the Labour-backed plans echoed Jeremy Hunt’s existing proposals. Speaking on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, she said: “The intention has always been to introduce the new contract in phases, and as I understand it, fewer than 20% of doctors will have the new contract in August, so that’s always been part of the plan. | |
| “And as I understand it Jeremy Hunt has written to the BMA and asked them to come round the table and discuss it with him.” | |
| Hunt has written to Mark Porter, the chairman of the BMA council, asking for a meeting on Monday to address other issues of concern raised by junior doctors. | Hunt has written to Mark Porter, the chairman of the BMA council, asking for a meeting on Monday to address other issues of concern raised by junior doctors. |
| In a letter published by the Department of Health on Sunday, Hunt asked Porter to call off the strike and instead meet him to discuss workforce requirements for seven-day services, improvements in training and improving the work-life balance for junior doctors. | In a letter published by the Department of Health on Sunday, Hunt asked Porter to call off the strike and instead meet him to discuss workforce requirements for seven-day services, improvements in training and improving the work-life balance for junior doctors. |
| His letter says: “The extreme action planned will be deeply worrying for patients, and place enormous additional strain on our NHS at a time of intense pressure. | His letter says: “The extreme action planned will be deeply worrying for patients, and place enormous additional strain on our NHS at a time of intense pressure. |
| “I therefore appeal to you one final time to call off strike action that will see doctors withdraw potentially life-saving care, and to meet with me on Monday to discuss a better way forward.” | “I therefore appeal to you one final time to call off strike action that will see doctors withdraw potentially life-saving care, and to meet with me on Monday to discuss a better way forward.” |
| Meanwhile, Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons deputy speaker, said he had requested the help of the army to support a chronically-understaffed A&E department in Lancashire. | Meanwhile, Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons deputy speaker, said he had requested the help of the army to support a chronically-understaffed A&E department in Lancashire. |
| Chorley hospital temporarily closed its A&E unit last week and downgraded to an “urgent care service” after Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said there was a shortage of doctors. | Chorley hospital temporarily closed its A&E unit last week and downgraded to an “urgent care service” after Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said there was a shortage of doctors. |
| Hoyle, whose Chorley constituency includes the crisis-hit hospital, said on Sunday that highly-trained military medics should be considered nationwide as a temporary support for under-pressure A&E departments. | Hoyle, whose Chorley constituency includes the crisis-hit hospital, said on Sunday that highly-trained military medics should be considered nationwide as a temporary support for under-pressure A&E departments. |
| “A&E across the country is on the edge. This is a domino effect and you can bring the whole of A&E down if you allow the situation at Chorley to continue elsewhere,” he told the Guardian. | “A&E across the country is on the edge. This is a domino effect and you can bring the whole of A&E down if you allow the situation at Chorley to continue elsewhere,” he told the Guardian. |
| “One of the avenues I suggested was to get the armed forces in Preston just for a temporary period until you can find an alternative over the critical period. It would have kept the A&E open and taken the pressure off the rest of Lancashire.” | “One of the avenues I suggested was to get the armed forces in Preston just for a temporary period until you can find an alternative over the critical period. It would have kept the A&E open and taken the pressure off the rest of Lancashire.” |
| Speaking a day after a 200-strong protest outside Chorley hospital, Hoyle said the closure would have a worrying effect on hospitals in Wigan, 12 miles away, Blackburn, 14 miles away, and in Preston, which he said had waiting times of up to eight hours last week. | Speaking a day after a 200-strong protest outside Chorley hospital, Hoyle said the closure would have a worrying effect on hospitals in Wigan, 12 miles away, Blackburn, 14 miles away, and in Preston, which he said had waiting times of up to eight hours last week. |
| In the cross-party letter, the MPs write: “You will be aware that medical leaders, royal colleges and patient groups have said the imposition or unilateral introduction of the contract is the wrong approach and risks permanent damage to the future of the medical workforce. | In the cross-party letter, the MPs write: “You will be aware that medical leaders, royal colleges and patient groups have said the imposition or unilateral introduction of the contract is the wrong approach and risks permanent damage to the future of the medical workforce. |
| “If it remains your intention to introduce this new contract, we believe it should be piloted in a number of trusts/across a number of deaneries and for its impact on patients, staff and the ‘weekend effect’ to be independently evaluated.” | “If it remains your intention to introduce this new contract, we believe it should be piloted in a number of trusts/across a number of deaneries and for its impact on patients, staff and the ‘weekend effect’ to be independently evaluated.” |
| An evaluation would lead to a “real understanding of the problem”, the MPs said, allowing targeted changes to be made. | An evaluation would lead to a “real understanding of the problem”, the MPs said, allowing targeted changes to be made. |
| Clare Marx, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said the dispute was a “lose-lose situation” for all parties and said the college strongly backed the proposal as a possible way out of the current impasse. She said: “Patients must come first. The dispute must come to an end.” | Clare Marx, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said the dispute was a “lose-lose situation” for all parties and said the college strongly backed the proposal as a possible way out of the current impasse. She said: “Patients must come first. The dispute must come to an end.” |
| The government said it had 75 meetings with the BMA and three years of talks, and delaying reform further would mean not taking an important step in improving weekend care. | The government said it had 75 meetings with the BMA and three years of talks, and delaying reform further would mean not taking an important step in improving weekend care. |
| A government spokesman said: “We have always said that we want to introduce this contract in a phased way – for around 11% of junior doctors from August – precisely so any initial problems can be ironed out. That’s why this is simply ill-informed political opportunism from the same Labour party responsible for the flawed contracts we have now.” | A government spokesman said: “We have always said that we want to introduce this contract in a phased way – for around 11% of junior doctors from August – precisely so any initial problems can be ironed out. That’s why this is simply ill-informed political opportunism from the same Labour party responsible for the flawed contracts we have now.” |