Health Secretary Atkins claims some doctors ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with strikes

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has sought to highlight divisions between junior doctors’ leaders and other NHS staff on the second day of strike action.

She claimed some junior doctors were “deeply uncomfortable” about the timing of the British Medical Association strike and said other NHS staff were having their Christmases blighted as a result of taking up the strain to cover for those on picket lines.

Ms Atkins hinted that an improved offer on pay and conditions could be on the table if the junior doctors called off the industrial action.

A 72-hour England-wide walkout, which began at 7am on December 20 and will run until the same time on Saturday, comes as the NHS grapples with one of its toughest winters on record.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced the strike earlier this month after talks between junior doctors and the Government broke down.

It will be followed by a six-day walkout from January 3, the longest in NHS history.

Victoria Atkins hinted an improved offer on pay and conditions could be on the table if the junior doctors called off the industrial action (Victoria Jones/PA)

Ms Atkins told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “There will be many, many doctors listening to this who feel deeply uncomfortable that their committee has called these strikes at this time. I would encourage anyone who feels like that quietly to consider whether this committee is in fact representing their views.

“I know, for example, that consultants and nurses and other doctors who aren’t on strike are, today and yesterday, and will be over January, coming in, doing extra shifts, to ensure that that level of care is provided for patients.

“They are being expected by the junior doctors’ committee to pick up the slack of their strikes.

“After the three Christmases that our medical profession has seen with Covid, I think we all wanted this Christmas to be as calm and settled as possible. Instead, this strike action is just striking through that.”

She suggested Department of Health and Social Care ministers and officials would be “back round the table in 20 minutes” for talks if the strikes are called off “and then we can see how much further we can go”.

She told BBC Breakfast: “It’s not just about pay, of course this is really important and indeed this year alone junior doctors have already had a pay rise of around 8.8%, the most junior of doctors, the first and second year of doctors, they’ve had the highest pay rises within the range up to 10.3% because we understand as a Government, we’ve heard what the doctors are saying to us.

“I also want to do more than that, I don’t just want to look at pay, I also want to look at their conditions because when I walk around hospitals, when I talk to doctors, they tell me one of the things they want to feel is valued. I absolutely understand that and I want to work with them to enable that to happen. ”

The BMA’s junior doctors’ committee has challenged the Government to make an offer first, so strikes could be cancelled.

It said the offer from the Government, an average 3% rise from January – on top of the average of nearly 9% recommended by the independent pay review body in April – was not enough to make up for below-inflation pay rises since 2008.

It has asked for a full pay restoration that the Government said would amount to a 35% pay rise – which ministers have said is unaffordable.

Conciliation service Acas said it is “ready to help” resolve the dispute.

The NHS has said emergency and urgent care will be prioritised during the strikes and that “almost all” routine care will be affected.

(PA Graphics)

Hospital leaders have described the walkouts as their “worst fears realised” as they grapple with a rising number of people needing help with winter viruses, particularly norovirus.

Junior doctors in Wales are planning a 72-hour walkout from January 15 while doctors in training in Northern Ireland are being balloted for potential strike action.

Junior doctors in Scotland have already come to an agreement with the Scottish Government.

Consultant doctors from the BMA in England have reached a deal with the Government, with members currently voting whether or not to accept the deal.

Specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors (SAS) in England have also come to an agreement, which is being put to members.

Elsewhere, Ms Atkins has written to the bodies which recommend salary uplifts for NHS staff to ask them to begin looking at the pay round for 2024/25 – but unions warned she had left it too late.