BMA writes to Hunt to demand assurances before re-entering junior doctor talks

Abstract

The BMA has written to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to seek the clear “concrete assurances” that it wants before agreeing to re-enter negotiations on the junior doctor contract. The BMA was replying to a letter that Hunt sent to Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, on 8 October.1 In that letter, Hunt said that the new contract for junior doctors in England would not cut junior doctors’ pay or increase their working hours. Writing in reply, Malawana said that, if the health secretary was able to give assurances on the matters he had raised, then the BMA would be able to re-enter contract negotiations. “If you will offer us clear assurances on our reasonable needs for a safe contract, we would be in a position to enter negotiations on the number of other areas that …