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Roundup: Thousands of junior doctors go on strike across England

Xinhua, January 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Thousands of junior doctors in England staged a 24-hour strike on Tuesday over pay and working hours disputes with Britain's health authorities.

The strike is the first by British junior doctors in nearly 40 years.

Thousands of hospital operations and procedures have been affected by the walkout, which began at 8:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT).

Trainee doctors in England will provide emergency-only care during the strike, similar to the medical service offered on Christmas Day in the country.

A total of 37,000 of 45,000 junior doctors in England took part in a vote in November last year and 98 percent of them voted for industrial action.

The British government wanted to establish a "seven-day National Health Service (NHS)" and proposed to introduce a new work contract for junior doctors, who believe the new contract would reduce protections for them.

The British Medical Association (BMA), the trade union and professional association for doctors and medical students in Britain, had tried to negotiate a new contract for junior doctors with the government, but failed to reach an agreement.

Significant disagreements still exist between the BMA and the government over pay, safety, and working hours, according to a position paper by the BMA.

The strike came "after the government's continued failure to address junior doctors' concerns about the need for robust contractual safeguards on safe working, and proper recognition for those working unsocial hours," the BMA said in a statement.

Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: "Junior doctors feel they have been left with no option but to take this action."

"We have been clear throughout this process that we want to negotiate a contract that is safe and fair, and delivers for junior doctors, patients and the NHS as whole," he added.

"Our door is open to talks, but the government must address our concerns," Malawana said, noting the contract needed to recognize the long, intense and unsocial hours which junior doctors put in.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn voiced support for the junior doctors, saying in a statement: "Their treatment by this government has been nothing short of appalling."

"It is time for this government to apologize to junior doctors and negotiate a fair deal that gets our NHS working again," he said.

On Monday, British Prime Minister David Cameron urged junior doctors to call off the strike, warning it would cause "some real difficulties for patients and potentially worse."

"This strike is not necessary, it will be damaging," he said. Endit