The current health secretary, Victoria Atkins, has expressed her “admiration” for protesting junior doctors ahead of renewed discussions on pay. This stands in contrast to the approach of her predecessor, Steve Barclay.
During an interview with the Times, Atkins expressed her desire to establish a “fresh connection” with the British Medical Association. She noted that she had encountered a cooperative attitude from the leaders of the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee. In the past, Barclay had alleged that the BMA held a “radical position” in terms of politics. He also accused NHS workers in England of coordinating “politically motivated” strikes.
Atkins, who was appointed health secretary less than three weeks ago, said she was entering discussions with a “constructive frame of mind”. She also refused to echo Barclay’s description of the BMA as “militant”, in a clear move towards a more conciliatory dialogue with the trade union. In the interview, Atkins said: “Of course I respect junior doctors. I have admiration for our doctors but also nurses and our volunteers.”
According to Atkins, the junior doctors were aware that the government would not be able to fulfill all of their requests. The junior doctors have been participating in strikes since the beginning of the year in order to demand a 35% increase in pay to make up for a 26.2% decrease in the value of their salaries since 2008-09.
Earlier this week, a deal was reached between Atkins and senior doctors in England which may put an end to strikes by hospital consultants. The offer from the government must still be approved by grassroots members of the BMA and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association in England, but if it is accepted, senior doctors in the country will receive higher pay starting in January, though they will not receive it until April.
Atkins stated, “I can only speak based on my experience and I had the privilege of meeting the two leaders of the BMA junior doctors’ committee. I found them to be highly constructive.”
She stated that she won’t be able to fulfill all of their requests, but believes they are aware of this. However, she wants to focus on not only compensation, but also acknowledging their importance as employees.
Bypass the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
The UK government announced that they are willing to discuss alternative forms of compensation for junior doctors, similar to the agreement made with consultants. In July, the government’s proposal of a 6% salary increase and an additional £1,250 was turned down by labor unions.
Source: theguardian.com
