British Medical Association leaders say PM’s threat to axe posts makes strike action more likely
Resident doctors have accused Keir Starmer of damaging the prospects of a deal to end their pay and jobs dispute by threatening to axe 1,000 new jobs for medics in the NHS.
The claim from the British Medical Association leaders came just before the Thursday deadline given by the prime minister for the union to accept the government’s final offer.
Barring a late change of heart by the BMA, resident doctors in England will stage a six-day strike from 7am on Tuesday. The union’s resident doctors committee last week rejected the government’s detailed plan to end their long-running dispute.
It included a pledge to increase the number of places available in specialist medical training by up to 4,500 over the next three years – to help more early-career doctors start training in their chosen speciality. About 1,000 doctors were due to step into those roles from this August.
