British junior physicians, who represent about half of all physicians in the National Health Service, are postponing their second strike next week because progress has been made in negotiations with the government over pay and shift length, according to Reuters.
The junior physicians, or physicians in graduate medical education, walked out last Tuesday, in what was the country's first physician strike in four decades. Roughly 4,000 nonurgent operations had to be rescheduled. The 40,000 medical residents had two additional 48-hour strikes planned after postponing them in December for talks with the government.
The physician union, the British Medical Association, hopes to build on early progress made since the last strike. However, BMA junior physician and committee chairman Johann Malawana, MD, said in a statement the third strike is scheduled for Feb. 10 and even emergency care will be withheld, if "significant, concrete progress," is not made, according to Reuters.
The BMA has taken issue with the most recent employment contract proposed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, saying it does not provide protections against dangerously long shifts. The contract was meant to create a seven-day healthcare service and improve weekend treatment by increasing physician pay overall, but reducing the number of hours physicians are able to receive overtime pay on the weekends.
More articles on integration and physician issues:
Maine hospital hires full-time police officer after fight in the ER
MetroHealth teams up with Ohio's largest CIN, expands physician network
UMass Medical School conducts research on vaccine to end the flu