Streeting: Formal talks planned with junior doctors over pay row

The move follows a meeting on Thursday between new Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting and the BMA.

Junior doctors and members of the British Medical Association (BMA) on the picket line outside Cheltenham General Hospital during their continuing dispute over pay (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Archive)

Formal talks are to be held in a bid to resolve the long running junior doctors dispute, it has been announced.

The move follows a meeting on Thursday between new Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting and the BMA.

Junior doctors in England have been embroiled in a long running row over pay which has led to a series of strikes.

Mr Streeting met the BMA shortly after Labour won the election, after promising to sit down with their officials to try to break the deadlock.

He said: “After a second constructive meeting, I am pleased to announce that my department will enter formal negotiations with the BMA junior doctors’ committee on Tuesday.

“This is a crucial step forward, as we work to end this dispute and change the way junior doctors are treated in the NHS.

“This Government has been honest with the public about the terrible economic circumstances we inherited, and I have repeated that message in meetings with the junior doctors. But I am encouraged by our early meetings that there is a deal to be done.

“Strikes have had a significant cost to patients, staff, and the NHS. Serious work is now underway to finally bring them to an end.”

BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “We have just had our second meeting with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

“We are pleased to announce that formal negotiations will begin on Tuesday July 23.

“We have set an expectation that these will conclude by the time of our executive meeting on August 16.”