PM Accuses Junior Doctors Of 'Playing Politics' Over Strike

Theresa May has accused the British Medical Association of "playing politics" instead of putting patients first after it approved a "full withdrawal of labour" over five days later this month.

The Prime Minister said the deal offered to junior doctors was "safe for patients", and added that the NHS had "record levels of funding".

She said: "The Government is putting patients first, the BMA should be putting patients first - not playing politics."

:: Junior Doctors' Strike: Key Questions Answered

Fears over the safety of patients have been raised, with figures suggesting more than 6,000 operations a day could be cancelled during the strike action.

Five-day walkouts are planned every month until the end of the year as the dispute over working contracts rumbles on.

The General Medical Council (GMC) said the proposed strikes were "unprecedented" and warned about the impact on patients.

Chief executive Niall Dickson said: "The decision of the British Medical Association's leadership to call on doctors in training in England to take rolling, all-out industrial action is unprecedented and represents a serious escalation of this dispute.

:: Junior Doctors Could Walk Out Every Month For Rest Of Year

"It is obviously a matter of great concern for everyone, especially for patients, and when so little time has been given for the NHS to make contingency plans.

"We recognise the frustration and alienation of doctors in training and indeed their right to take industrial action.

"The first priority must be to protect patients from harm."

The first walkout is due to take place between 8am and 5pm on 12-16 September, with further dates to be confirmed.

The action was approved by the BMA on Wednesday following a meeting with the junior doctors committee.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA council, refused to reveal the outcome of a vote on strikes amid claims it was as close as a 16-14 outcome.

He criticised Mrs May and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and said they were determined to implement the contract because it was "in their party manifesto".

He said: "We are not playing politics; we are not seeking to, for example, change a Government, or criticise a partisan element of the House of Commons, or indeed to do anything at all other than express to the Government the lack of confidence of junior doctors in the contract that they are imposing."

Owen Smith, Labour leadership candidate, called on Mrs May to sack Mr Hunt and to rip up the junior doctors contract and renegotiate.

He said: "This situation has been brought about by a combination of chronic underfunding, a botched reorganisation and the worst Health Secretary in the NHS's history.

"We need to find a way to put the NHS back on the road to recovery and avert this strike, it is clear the Health Secretary is unable to do so. That is why I am calling on Jeremy Hunt to be sacked immediately."

The Department of Health has said up to 125,000 operations and around one million appointments could be cancelled as a result of the strikes. That equates to more than 6,000 per day over the course of the 20 days of strike action.

Mr Hunt told Sky News the sticking point in the dispute centres around Saturday pay and automatic pay rises for part-time workers.

He said: "I actually think in the 24/7 society that we live in, it is a very fair and reasonable deal.

"We did a deal in May, we had exhaustive discussions, I think we made a huge amount of progress and I would like to continue that spirit of dialogue and trust and turn away from this path of confrontation."

The dispute is over working contracts, introduced after doctors rejected an earlier contract brokered between health leaders and the BMA in May.