Today's junior doctors’ strike has been 30 years in the making

The junior doctors contract would do nothing to deliver a 7 day NHS, experts agree. The government's refusal to back down is because they see doctors as a hurdle to their plans to dismantle what we understand by the NHS - plans which have been a long time in the making.

By Steve Topple

Published: April 26, 2016, 7:04 am

Image: Flickr/Kevin21r

Today, the BMA and the Junior Doctors begin unprecedented industrial action against the highly controversial contract – a full 48-hour walk out across all departments.

Let’s make one thing clear from the start – this in no way will affect emergency patient care. As Roshana Mehdian calmly and succinctly conveyed on “Newsnight” last Friday (and NHS England hurriedly confirmed an hour later) full contingency plans are in place, and there is now a specific website containing signposting to services on strike days.

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