'hardline' Bma Blocks Pleas For Strike Doctors To Work

NHS bosses person criticised nan British Medical Association for its "increasingly hardline" attack successful rejecting emergency requests for striking doctors successful England to return to work.

A strategy known arsenic 'derogation' is successful spot whereby nan NHS tin inquire for resident doctors, who are taking portion successful a five-day walkout, to transverse nan picket statement wherever diligent information is astatine risk.

As of Sunday evening, 18 requests by hospitals for derogations had been rejected successful this onslaught - nan twelfth successful nan long-running salary conflict - pinch 9 accepted.

The BMA said while it was fresh to respond to emergencies, mediocre readying and nan push to proceed non-urgent attraction successful this onslaught had stretched staffing excessively much.

However, NHS England accused nan doctors' national of putting information astatine risk, criticising a "remote BMA panel" for "second-guessing" doctors connected nan crushed who were trying to look aft patients.

A cardinal committee of elder BMA doctors makes decisions connected each derogation request.

NHS England said it was peculiarly worried astir a number of requests relating to crab attraction being turned down.

And it said nan BMA was sitting connected immoderate requests for hours, pinch immoderate rejected because hospitals would not salary striking doctors premium rates to travel backmost in.

Before this onslaught started, nan BMA had only agreed to 5 derogations during nan full dispute.

Among nan requests agreed was a expert to activity astatine Nottingham City Hospital's neonatal intensive attraction portion complete nan weekend.

Three BMA members were besides brought successful to activity a nighttime displacement astatine nan Northern General successful Sheffield.

But nan BMA rejected a petition by Milton Keynes Hospital for a expert to transportation retired prostate crab checks. In that lawsuit nan BBC understands a expert did return to activity nether their ain volition.

A BMA spokesperson added: "It remains our position that this statement will beryllium disposable for nan NHS to trust upon should a safety-critical, urgent arena occur.

"That process is location time and nighttime passim business action, and we stay fresh to respond to immoderate emergency requests.

"However, we request to beryllium clear that nan intent of this statement is not to facilitate nan continued transportation of non-urgent attraction astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic elder doctors are covering for residents taking business action, arsenic trusts simply do not person capable elder doctors to do that safely."

NHS England sources said it was peculiarly disappointed pinch nan rejections arsenic nan nationalist organisation was now vetting each petition from hospitals to guarantee a consistency successful attack betwixt different places.

Every request, they said, was based connected "rigorous assessment".

"We perfectly recognise nan ineligible correct for group to strike, but we besides recognise that it's basal to support arsenic galore services for patients arsenic possible," they added.

The five-day onslaught by resident doctors is owed to tally until 07:00 connected Wednesday morning.