Junior doctors in Suffolk continue 72-hour strike
They are calling for better pay and working conditions
Junior doctors across Suffolk are continuing their 72-hour strike today.
The action kicked off yesterday (Monday), and comes ahead of a week of walkouts which will include one of the biggest days of industrial action for years on Wednesday.
Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) in England will mount picket lines outside hospitals across the country in the longest ever period of strikes by junior doctors.
It comes after the BMA launched a campaign which said junior doctors could earn more money “serving coffee than saving patients”.
We spoke to Nick Hulme CEO of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, who shared his thoughts on the strikes:
"It's above my pay rate to decide what the pay conditions of NHS staff should - be that's decided between the government and the union, so it's really important that they get round the table.
"My plea would be 4 things:
"Firstly, resolve this quickly because every day that goes by, all the knock-on effects from the strike will potentially cause risk to patients.
"Secondly, it has to feel fair and equitable. So whatever the agreement is, the medical staff, (and) those doctors involved need to feel as though it's a fair offer and it reflects the offer going to other staff as well...
"It has to feel fair to those people involved and it's not for me to decide what will feel fair for them. That's a decision that only the unions represent their members and whether that's doctors, nurses, physios, dieticians, or anybody else on strike.
"That's the conversation that the members need to have within their unions and the unions to represent that to the government.
"The third issue is it has to be affordable, because if it's not affordable then there will be an impact on other services.
"Unfortunately, the way to make it affordable is to fund it from central government so that it doesn't encroach on our existing budgets.
"Because if I'm in the position of having to make difficult choices between what services we provide and an uplifting pay not just for doctors but for anyone, then that will have a long-term impact on an already stretched NHS service."
What does the government say?
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: "It is incredibly disappointing the British Medical Association (BMA) has declined my offer to enter formal pay negotiations on the condition strikes are paused.
"I want to find a fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK.
"I've been having constructive and meaningful talks with unions representing nurses, ambulance workers and other non-medical staff, which have agreed to pause strike action, and negotiations will continue this week."
The Prime Minister, speaking to Sky News while in San Diego, US, said: "I don't think it's right that there's so much disruption being caused to working families' lives.
"That's why I, as Prime Minister, introduced new laws to have minimum safety levels in our critical public services like rail, like education, like healthcare.
"It's precisely because I do think people should not be able to have that disruption in their lives that I'm putting that new law through Parliament."