The junior doctors' committee of the British Medical Association voted without opposition to survey opinion on the idea of a national strike or lesser forms of industrial action. It reflects a flare-up of long-standing resentment over working hours. Although the overall picture has improved markedly since 1991, when the New Deal was introduced to limit juniors' working hours to 56 a week, one in six jobs still exceeds the maximum.
Juniors' leaders say there is a mood of militancy unparalleled since the late 1980s, fuelled by growing intensity of work and cuts in facilities such as 24-hour hospital canteens. Andrew Hobart, who chairs the committee, said: 'It is demoralising for a junior doctor to be making life-and-death decisions whilst not getting adequate rest, food or decent working and living conditions, all at half pay.' Under NHS rules, hours of work beyond 40 a week are paid at less than the standard rate. The BMA says this means juniors can earn as little as £4.02 an hour.
Last month, the doctors' pay review body awarded juniors a 3.5 per cent salary increase but said it could find no evidence to support a BMA call for payments for either anti-social hours or hours worked beyond 56 a week.
From April 1, juniors' salaries will range from £16,710, for a house officer on appointment, to £33,965, for a senior or specialist registrar at the top of their scale.
In a separate development yesterday, figures showed a drop in the number of discretionary merit awards going to women consultant doctors. John Denham, the Health Minister, said the fall showed that 'we must do more to make the scheme fairer'.
The figures came from the awards advisory committee, which said it was trying to even the spread of awards; it wanted to see fewer going to doctors in teaching hospitals or holding honorary consultant contracts, and more to local hospitals or specialised national services.
