BMA says first full withdrawal of labour, including emergency cover, in NHS history, will take place on 26 and 27 April

The union that represents junior doctors has dramatically escalated its dispute with the government over new contracts by announcing a two-day, all-out strike at the end of April, in which even emergency cover will be withdrawn.

The British Medical Association said that a previously announced strike by junior doctors in England between 8am and 5pm on 26 and 27 April, during which they had originally planned to provide emergency care only, would now be a “full withdrawal of labour”. “This means that all junior doctors will not attend work, or provide emergency cover between those hours,” it said in a statement.

The decision means that, unlike the three previous strikes held since January, junior doctors will for the first time not staff A&E units, intensive care, emergency surgery or other areas of life or death care.



It is a high-risk move by the 45,000 medics below consultant level. Opinion polls have found that about two-thirds of the public have backed the strikes to date.

But Anna Quigley, head of health research at Ipsos Mori, said: “If emergency care is not provided during strikes the public is much less likely to support them. With this new expanded raft of action, junior doctors may risk their solid base of public support and with that a powerful bargaining tool.”

The union said it was acting in response to the government’s refusal to back down on threats to impose a new contract on junior doctors, despite their objections.

But the Department of Health hit back, calling the action “desperate and irresponsible” and accusing junior doctors of putting patients in harm’s way.

It is believed the action by junior doctors will be the first full walkout in the history of the NHS.

In its statement the union said that emergency cover would be provided by more senior medics.

“It is important to remember that it is only junior doctors that are taking industrial action and so other doctors and healthcare staff will attend work as normal,” it said. “Since the BMA has given employers the required seven days’ notice of this action, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure a service is provided.”

An additional walkout, which will maintain cover in emergency care, is planned between 8am on Wednesday 6 April and 8am on Friday 8 April.

The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, told parliament last month that he planned to impose the controversial new contracts on junior doctors from August, after two months of negotiations failed to resolve the bitter dispute. The contract will see Saturdays between 7am and 5pm become part of a junior doctor’s normal working week for the first time.

National Voices, a coalition of 160 health and care charities, urged both sides to compromise to resolve the dispute. “The government and the BMA seem unable to get around the negotiating table, and the only people who will suffer are patients. We are calling on government to drop the imposition of a new contract, the BMA to call off planned strikes, and both sides to get back around the negotiating table as quickly as possible,” said Jeremy Taylor, its chief executive.

In a statement, a Department of Health spokesperson said: “This escalation of industrial action by the BMA is both desperate and irresponsible – and will inevitably put patients in harm’s way.

“If the BMA had agreed to negotiate on Saturday pay, as they promised to do through Acas in November, we’d have a negotiated agreement by now – instead, we had no choice but to proceed with proposals recommended and supported by NHS leaders.”

Dr Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA’s junior doctor committee said: “No junior doctor wants to take this action but the government has left us with no choice. In refusing to lift imposition and listen to junior doctors’ outstanding concerns, the government will bear direct responsibility for the first full walkout of doctors in this country.

“The government is refusing to get back around the table and is ploughing ahead with plans to impose a contract junior doctors have no confidence in and have roundly rejected.

“We want to end this dispute through talks but the government is making this impossible. It is flatly refusing to engage with junior doctors, has done nothing to halt industrial action and is wilfully ignoring the mounting chorus of concerns over its plans coming from doctors, patients and senior NHS managers. Faced with this reality what else can junior doctors do?”







