Plea to shelve contract imposition

Medical royal college leaders have called for health secretary Jeremy Hunt to shelve his plan to impose the junior doctors’ contract. They have described the move as ‘ill-conceived’ and said they were dismayed at the impasse — with the health secretary refusing to return to talks. It comes after the BMA told Mr Hunt it would call off next week’s industrial action if he responded by dropping the imposition. College leaders have urged Mr Hunt to accept that offer, which Mr Hunt has so far rejected. Royal College of Psychiatrists president Simon Wessely said in a statement: ‘If, as a junior doctor, the upcoming course of action is thought necessary, then that is rightly your decision to take. The college, and of course I, will continue to be supportive of our juniors. ‘Health secretaries and presidents come and go. But we hope that you will not. ‘It is not in the interests of our patients to have unhappy, unmotivated, unsupported psychiatrists, and I promise you that we as a college will do everything we can to avoid that eventuality. 'This is a task for all — and so once again we remind the Government that it is not in the public interest to pursue any course that reduces the numbers of doctors in general, or psychiatrists in particular, entering training.’   No to imposition A statement from the RCR (Royal College of Radiologists) says: ‘We urge the Government not to impose the planned new contract on j...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news