British gov't, junior doctors reach agreement to solve contract dispute

The British government and junior doctors reached an agreement on Wednesday on new contract terms after months of negotiation and a series of strikes.

Negotiators of the government and the British Medical Association (BMA), a trade union for doctors and medical students in Britain, finally unveiled a deal after ten days of intensive talks at conciliation service Acas.

Thousands of junior doctors in England have staged a series of industrial actions in the past few months over a long-running dispute regarding pay and working hours, leaving thousands of operations canceled.

For example, on April 27, emergency care including accidents and emergencies, and maternity and intensive care, were suspended in the fifth round of strikes, marking the first time that emergency care was affected in the National Health Service's (NHS) 68-year history.

The British government planned to impose its contract this summer. However, junior doctors refused the terms, which led to strikes.

Since the two parties reached an agreement on Wednesday, details of the agreement and a new contract will be put to a vote of BMA members.

If some elements of the new contract could be approved in the referendum, the contract will be implemented in August and no further industrial action will be called while the referendum is underway, BMA said.

"I believe that what has been agreed today delivers on these principles, it's a good deal for junior doctors and will ensure that they can continue to deliver high-quality care for patients," said Johann Malawana, BMA's junior doctor committee chair.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the agreement, saying the deal represented a definitive step forward for patients, doctors, and the NHS as a whole. Endit