We must avoid ‘own goals’ over contract

As doctors’ contracts go, our current one for juniors is perhaps looking a little long in the tooth. It was negotiated in the days before Modernising Medical Careers and the 48-hour working week. The BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee has heard concerns being expressed, for several years, that it may not be providing a fair and equitable deal for all juniors. 

Is the old contract ready to be put out to pasture, or is there life in the old dog yet? The answer to this question, of course, very much depends on the alternative.

Last May, the four health departments commissioned NHS Employers in England and employers in the devolved nations to conduct a scoping  study to review the effectiveness of the contract. Scoping is not the same as contract negotiations but it provided an opportunity to influence the development of ideas for a new contract and, as the chair of the JDC, I have attended several meetings with NHS employers. It will come as no surprise that in the current economic climate the tone of the talks has been one of cost neutrality.

NHS Employers are expected to produce a final report on the scoping talks by the end of April. The report should lay out what employers think should happen next. From the BMA’s perspective, we will only consider entering into discussions for a new contract if it is possible to negotiate clear changes that are to the benefit of UK junior doctors. We cannot, and will not be, negotiating a new contract for the sake of negotiating, particularly if we stand to score an own goal.

There is currently no mandate for NHS employers to start negotiations with the BMA and of course there is the small matter of the election which could bring significant changes in the political landscape, so the future is uncertain.

The current contract may not be ideal, but it may be here for some time to come. If you want to know more about your rights under the current contract - visit the BMA’s Know Your Contract, Know Your Rights web page.

Tags: Trainees