The Government is 'nowhere near' striking an agreement with junior doctors - and more senior colleagues could soon follow them on the picket line. That's the message from Dr Naru Narayanan, an NHS consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist nurse, who is president of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA).
Junior doctors who are members of the HCSA and the British Medical Association (BMA) will walk out for 72 hours from 7am today (June 14) until 7am on Saturday, following previous strike action earlier this year. It comes after the latest breakdown in talks between unions and the Department for Health and Social Care over pay.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has previously slammed calls for a 35% pay increase as 'unreasonable' - but unions say that figure follows a 26.1% drop in junior doctors' pay since 2008 and comes amid soaring inflation over the past year. Dr Narayanan insists junior doctors are 'not unreasonable' and there is a deal to be done - but it isn't close, despite some other health unions reaching agreements this year.
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He told the Manchester Evening News: "There has been no progress in talks so far. Junior doctors have just had enough, really, of being taken for granted."
Dr Narayanan says 'no direct negotiations' have taken place between his union and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) over pay, and while a previous offer put forward to junior doctors included other benefits, it did not address the demand for higher pay. Dr Narayanan believes the demand of a 35% increase 'does not have to be addressed in one go', and there is a deal to be reached that could see pay increase over a period of time.
"I think the Government has to realise that the dispute is about pay," he said. "Until that is addressed, nothing else matters. There are really important things - terms and conditions, exam fees, study leave - but the crux of the matter is pay."
Dr Narayanan added: "If [junior doctors] were given a sensible pay rise each year we would never be in this position." Greater Manchester hospitals will be among those hit by the junior doctors' strike this week.
Unions say patients are ultimately suffering because current NHS pay levels are leading to doctors moving abroad, hitting a health service which already has a high number of vacancies. Dr Narayanan believes the industrial action is a call to 'save the NHS' and make sure it is 'world class'.
"The key thing to remember is that we are on the side of the public," said Dr Narayanan. "We know that waiting lists have been increasing for years - this dispute has nothing to do with it.
"It's because the terms and conditions are such that doctors are leaving in droves. They are going abroad. The Republic of Ireland is asking people from here to go to them because they are paying salaries of about €265,000 a year. That's twice what a consultant in the UK is getting at the top of the grade."
The BMA has warned that junior doctors could 'strike throughout the summer' without progress in pay talks, with three days of action each month. Consultants could also take their own industrial action, with unions asking more senior members if they wish to strike over pay, as the BMA says they have seen their pay fall by 35% since 2008.
Dr Narayanan admits many NHS consultants are 'disenchanted', and could earn two or three times as much in other countries. "We shouldn't forget the level of responsibility consultants are carrying," he added.
"They are dealing with life and death situations every day." The DHSC says it 'hugely values' the work of consultants who received a 4.5% pay uplift in the last financial year, increasing average earnings to around £128,000.
On today's junior doctors' strike, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “It is extremely disappointing the BMA is going ahead with further strike action. This 72-hour walkout will put patient safety and our efforts to cut waiting lists at risk.
“During recent meetings with representatives of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, we made a fair and reasonable opening offer and were discussing both pay and non-pay issues until they chose to end the talks by announcing new strike dates. If the BMA cancels these damaging and disruptive strikes and shows willingness to move significantly from their position, we can resume confidential talks and find a way forward, as we have done with other unions.
“People should attend appointments unless told otherwise by the NHS, continue to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency and use NHS 111 online services for non-urgent health needs.”
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