Responding to the announcement that the BMA's Junior Doctors' Committee has suspended planned industrial action over the junior doctors' contract in England, Prof Derek Bell, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and Dr Katherine Walesby, Chair of the College's Trainees and Members’ Committee, said:
"We welcome the suspension of industrial action that had been planned in the coming months.
"In cancelling the action, the BMA has taken on board concerns raised with them over the action."We reiterate our call for the UK Government to acknowledge and address the outstanding concerns that many trainees have in relation to the contract, and recognise the impact it will have on the stability and morale of this vital part of our workforce.
"The College is committed to ensuring that the values of time to care, time to train and time for research become an intrinsic part of the culture of the NHS. Doing so will enable us to invest in the future for patients and the profession, and create a sustainable workforce in the long term. It will also help us address the many pressures faced by healthcare professionals as a result of rota gaps and low morale."
Contact: Lisa Rooke, RCPE - 0131 247 3688 / 07717 895628 / l.rooke@rcpe.ac.uk (link sends e-mail)
