Junior doctors announce three more strikes
Junior doctors in Britain announced another three strikes on Tuesday, as the British Medical Association prepared to seek a judicial review of Westminster's decision to impose new contracts.
The planned strikes were for 48 hours each, and would be on 9 March, 6 April and 26 April. They would all begin at 0800 GMT.
BMA confirmed the action would not affect emergency care.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt successfully pushed to impose the new contracts on NHS junior doctors earlier in February, after the BMA rejected a 'best and final' offer.
Hunt said enforcing the contract was a necessity if hospitals were to recruit more junior doctors for weekend work, as part of his planned seven-day NHS.
The doctors' union disputed his claims that a seven-day health service would reduce death rates among patients admitted to hospitals on Saturday and Sunday.
BMA said it wanted to legally challenge Hunt's decision to impose the contract, as it believed the government did not fulfill its obligation to show 'due regard' to equality issues under the Equality Act 2010.
“In recent weeks I have heard from thousands of junior doctors across the country, and the resounding message is that they cannot and will not accept what the government is trying to do," said BMA junior doctor committee chair Dr Johann Malawana.
“It now appears that in trying to push through these changes the government failed to give proper consideration to the impact this contract could have on junior doctors. This is yet another example of the incompetence which the government has demonstrated throughout its handling of this dispute," Malawana added.