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| Government offers junior doctors' contract pause | Government offers junior doctors' contract pause |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The government has said it is willing to pause the introduction of the junior doctors' contract in England for five days from Monday to allow for talks. | The government has said it is willing to pause the introduction of the junior doctors' contract in England for five days from Monday to allow for talks. |
| But it said the doctors' union must focus discussions on outstanding contractual issues such as unsocial hours and Saturday pay. | But it said the doctors' union must focus discussions on outstanding contractual issues such as unsocial hours and Saturday pay. |
| Junior doctors have repeatedly been on strike over plans to impose new working conditions. | Junior doctors have repeatedly been on strike over plans to impose new working conditions. |
| Talks over the controversial new contract broke down in February. | Talks over the controversial new contract broke down in February. |
| The Prime Minister has welcomed the possibility of talks between ministers and the British Medical Association, saying it was important that the talks focussed on the "10%" of issues in the contract that had not been agreed, "particularly Saturday working". | |
| The idea for a pause was put forward by 22 medical colleges and faculties today. | |
| They called for the government to postpone the new contract and for the British Medical Association to stall any new threats of strikes - both for five days. | |
| Impasse | |
| Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had accused the BMA of refusing to negotiate over Saturday pay and said he would press on with introducing the contract. | |
| While the BMA said there were wider unresolved issues over working hours and it was unfair to impose a contract rather than continuing discussions. | |
| Between January and early April there were four strikes by junior doctors in England affecting routine but not urgent care. | Between January and early April there were four strikes by junior doctors in England affecting routine but not urgent care. |
| Last week there were two one-day strikes affecting all forms of care, including emergencies - the first such action in the history of the NHS. | Last week there were two one-day strikes affecting all forms of care, including emergencies - the first such action in the history of the NHS. |
| Only this morning a Department of Health spokesperson was said "it is now too late to change the process of bringing in contracts". | |
| But speaking in the House of Lords, the health minister Lord Prior of Brampton said Mr Hunt was willing to "pause" the introduction of the new contract. | |
| However he insisted that weekend pay must be on the agenda. | |
| Reacting before the U-turn, Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA junior doctor committee chairman, said: "The BMA would be prepared to agree to this [the Royal College's] proposal and temporarily suspend industrial action so that talks can resume with a mutually agreed facilitator, if the government is also prepared to suspend the threat of imposition." | |
| Shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the offer of a pause and said the two sides had to resume discussions. | |
| "It is imperative that Jeremy Hunt puts his pride to one side and resumes negotiations with the BMA." |