Jeremy Hunt goes on the attack and urges junior doctors to stop 'damaging' strike
THE Health Minister has said that junior doctors striking will not help the NHS and urged them to accept the contract on offer
Jeremy Hunt slams 'unprecedented' junior doctors strike
In a statement to the House of Commons, Jeremy Hunt said the forthcoming strikes would bring "unprecedented misery" on patients.
He welcomed the BMA (British Medical Association) calling off the strike next week and urged them to call off further strikes later in the year.
Mr Hunt said: “The most vulnerable patients, there is a real risk for them. Those people should be checked at least twice a day by someone experienced enough to do it.”
Jeremy Hunt addressed MPs in the House of Parliament about the junior doctors dispute
Jeremy Hunt with health minister David Mowat urged the BMA to reconsider further strike action
progress is made by dialogue and not confrontation and agreed solutions are the best way to solve the disputes
He said that progress is made by dialogue and not confrontation and agreed solutions are the best way to solve the disputes.
The Tooting MP, Rosena Allin-Khan, disagreed with the health minister, saying: “This contract is not putting patient safety first, the contract is causing patients to move to Australia. You can’t create a seven day contract on a five day rota.”
Mr Hunt said it was an agreed contract with the BMA and he did negotiate a deal.
Hunt spoke to MPs in the House of Commons this evening
Hackney MP Dianne Abbott spoke about the breakdown in trust between junior doctors and the Government and low moral within the health sector.
Certain MPs urged the health minister to look at the situation again and re-assess the new contracts.
Mr Hunt said: “If I am wrong about then so are the leaders of the BMA because they said the contract I wanted to impose was a good contract and a good deal for junior doctors.”
Eamonn Holmes takes Jeremy Hunt to task
Junior Doctors have threatened further strike action
The MP for North East Bedfordshire, Mr Alistair Burt, supported Mr Hunt and his concessions to the contract.
Mr Burt said: “Would it not be best for the BMA to call off the rest of the strikes and work with the Government.”
Other MPs urged the BMA to check their mandate as many doctors do not agree with the strike.
The Health Minister said “one shudders to think” about what could happen in certain hospitals if junior doctors were not at work.