The well being secretary has accused the British Medical Affiliation of “juvenile delinquency” and behaving like “moaning minnies” after the union introduced that resident docs will go on strike within the run-up to Christmas.
Wes Streeting informed Mornings with Ridge and Frost he’s fed up with the BMA after resident docs – beforehand referred to as junior docs – might be taking industrial motion from 17-25 December – their 14th strike since March 2023.
The BMA’s GP committee is opposing the transfer as they mentioned sufferers can be put in danger if they can not get by way of on the telephone or in individual.
Mr Streeting mentioned the BMA signed as much as the transfer then backtracked and mentioned GPs “deserve real credit” for an enormous enhance in satisfaction scores over the previous yr.
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He accused BMA leaders of “sitting in the corner like moaning minnies, when actually their members are doing a really good job working with the government to improve patient care and experience”.
He mentioned: “Whether it’s the rhetoric and the behaviour of the BMA around general practice, whether it is yet another round of unnecessary strike action being proposed by resident doctors who have had a 28.9% pay rise, we’ve seen an outbreak in the British Medical Association of juvenile delinquency, and it is irresponsible because we know that the NHS is under real pressure.”
The cupboard minister added: “The BMA is not only holding back the NHS’s recovery and inflicting damage on patients, it’s also self-defeating for their members who are having to work in these conditions.”
He urged the BMA to “work with us” as he mentioned he and the federal government are in settlement with them over a “whole bunch of things”, together with pay, profession development, coaching locations, bottlenecks and worldwide medical recruitment.
“But change takes time and they’ve got a willing partner, and they need to work with us,” he mentioned.
Mr Streeting mentioned he’s “genuinely worried” in regards to the docs’ strike simply earlier than Christmas, which he referred to as a “different order of magnitude of risk” in contrast with earlier strikes, which he mentioned have been very nicely managed by NHS leaders.
He mentioned Sir Jim Mackey, the chief govt of the NHS, and different scientific leaders are additionally fearful.
“It is not too late to avert that strike action,” Mr Streeting added.
The well being secretary beforehand referred to as the strike a “cynical attempt to wreck Christmas”.
Resident docs say regardless of a virtually 30% pay rise over the previous three years, together with 22% beneath Labour, they want an extra 26% enhance over the following few years to make up for the erosion of their pay in actual phrases since 2008.
