Labour has called an Opposition Day Debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday 28 October, and will call on the Government to drop their plans for a new junior doctor contract, and put forward new proposals which are fair for staff and safe for patients.

Heidi Alexander MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said:

“Jeremy Hunt’s handling of the junior doctor contract negotiation has caused unnecessary anger. With morale in the NHS already at rock bottom, it is now a real threat to the recruitment and retention of NHS staff.

“Junior doctors are the backbone of our hospitals, and we have a duty of care to them. The new contract needs to be fair for junior doctors and safe for the patients they care for.

“We must not allow this Government to take us back to the bad old days of worn out staff, too exhausted to provide safe patient care.

“Next week’s debate will be a chance for Parliament to send a clear message to Jeremy Hunt – scrap your plans to impose a new contract and put patient safety ahead of politics.”

ENDS

Notes

Junior Doctor’s Contracts 

That this House notes the stalled discussions between Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) about a new junior doctor contract; opposes the removal of financial penalties from hospitals which protect staff from working excessive hours; urges the Government to guarantee that no junior doctor will have their pay cut as a result of a new contract and calls upon Government to withdraw the threat of contract imposition, put forward proposals which are safe for patients and fair for junior doctors and return to negotiations with the BMA.