Streeting Invites Doctors For Fresh Talks Next Week

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has invited resident doctors' leaders for caller talks adjacent week successful a bid to extremity nan long-running salary dispute.

It comes aft nan doctors' union, nan BMA, wrote to Streeting connected Tuesday evening asking for negotiations.

In response, Streeting said he would not discuss connected pay, but was consenting to proceed nan talks that collapsed down past week looking astatine moving conditions, including profession progression, exam fees and rotas.

However, he warned nan national it had mislaid nan government's goodwill because of nan latest strike, which vanished connected Wednesday.

The British Medical Association has yet to respond to nan invite, but nan BBC understands its missive asked for talks connected pay.

Streeting's missive said it was "ironic" nan BMA was asking for talks, pointing retired he had ne'er near nan negotiating table.

The talks ended past Tuesday erstwhile nan national confirmed its five-day walkout was going ahead.

It was nan twelfth onslaught since outpouring 2023, but nan first nether Labour.

Shortly aft nan election, Streeting reached a woody pinch resident doctors that saw a region to business action.

It led to a 22% summation successful salary complete a two-year period. They person been fixed different 5.4% mean emergence this year, but nan BMA renewed onslaught action arguing that was not capable since salary was still a 5th little than it was successful 2008.

In his missive connected Wednesday, Streeting said nan latest onslaught action was "deeply disappointing" and "entirely unnecessary" fixed talks that had started could person made substantive improvements to nan moving lives of doctors.

He said nan onslaught had had a detrimental effect connected patients.

And Streeting added: "Your action has besides been self-defeating, because you person squandered nan sizeable goodwill you had pinch maine and this government."

But he said his doorway remained open, adding he was happy to meet early adjacent week.

It is not yet clear nan standard of disruption to wellness services caused by nan latest strike.

The NHS has attempted to support astir of nan non-urgent activity going, specified arsenic knee and hep operations.

Some hospitals reported they were capable to do much than 80% of their normal activity – antecedently it had been arsenic debased arsenic 50%.

Resident doctors correspond astir half nan aesculapian workforce and scope from doctors caller retired of assemblage done to those pinch up to a decade of experience.