Pay talks are closed, Government tells junior doctors as four-day strike ends

Health minister Will Quince insisted that negations on pay are over but said he is ‘open’ to discuss other issues including working environments.

The Government has said talks on pay are ‘closed’ (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

The Government has insisted there will be no more talks over pay as the latest strike by junior doctors in England drew to a close.

As the four-day walkout ended at 7am on Tuesday, health minister Will Quince insisted that negations on pay are over but said he is “open” to discuss other issues including working environments.

It is the fifth time junior doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) have staged industrial action in England amid the ongoing dispute over pay.

NHS officials have suggested that the action will have led to thousands of appointments, operations and procedures being postponed.

Hospital consultants are set to stage their own strike later in the month.

My door remains open to discuss other issues around working environments and conditions, but pay is closed and I think that’s the right decision

Health minister Will Quince

Mr Quince told Sky News: “It’s hugely disappointing that both the junior doctors of the BMA and the consultants are still taking industrial action.

“And that’s despite the Government having accepted in full the recommendations of the independent Pay Review Body.

“Take junior doctors for example – we accepted the recommendation, which is an average of 8.8% (rise for average junior doctors) or 10.3% for new doctors just starting out in training.

“The Prime Minister has been really clear that the discussion on pay is now closed.

“My door remains open to discuss other issues around working environments and conditions, but pay is closed and I think that’s the right decision.”

In July the Government announced that junior doctors will receive pay rises of 6%, along with an additional consolidated £1,250 increase, and hospital consultants will also receive 6%.

Steve Barclay has singularly failed to make any significant steps towards ending this dispute and, as he continues to posture and pontificate, the waiting list goes up and more patients see their treatment delayed

Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, BMA junior doctors committee

BMA junior doctors committee co-chairmen Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said in a statement during the strike: “This Government and the Health Secretary have grown increasingly intransigent, belligerent and unwilling to talk about how we can end this dispute, and indeed are now expending more energy on making spurious claims about the reasons for our legitimate campaign than they are about settling the dispute.

“Steve Barclay has singularly failed to make any significant steps towards ending this dispute and, as he continues to posture and pontificate, the waiting list goes up and more patients see their treatment delayed.

“What he and the Prime Minister should be doing is getting back round the table with us to find a way of ending this dispute.”