06 February 2024 , 14:35
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A former Tory Cabinet minister has called on Jeremy Hunt to offer junior doctors more money to end a year of strikes in the NHS.
Theresa Villiers appealed to the Chancellor to finally "end" the long-running dispute during an intervention in the Commons. Last month, junior doctors in England took part in an unprecedented 144-hour walkout - the longest strike action in the history of the NHS.
The Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet and former minister Ms Villiers said: "Can the Treasury find funds for increased pay offer for junior doctors? Completely agree that we must safeguard the public finances... but if ever there was a group that deserved a pay rise it is junior doctors and we need to get the dispute settled."
But Mr Hunt told his Tory colleague that junior doctors had a "very fair offer". He added: "It's an offer that has been higher than was recommended by the Independent Pay Review Body and it is about double the rate of this year's predicted inflation."
The British Medical Association (BMA) last month threatened further strike action and the union has also confirmed it will re ballot its members to extend its strike mandate for another six month. The result is due to be announced in March.
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The BMA has asked the Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to "fully restore pay" with a 35% increase, but medics have said this does not have to come "in one go". The Government has said junior doctors received a pay rise this year of between 8.1% and 10.3%, and described the 35% demand as "not reasonable or affordable, even over several years".
Just last week, Rishi Sunak also told striking junior doctors the government does not have a "magic money tree" - despite also floating the idea of pre-election tax cuts. He told ITV's This Morning: “We don’t have a magic money tree. And we have to be fair to everybody,” he said during an appearance on This Morning.
“A million other NHS workers have all actually come to a reasonable agreement with the Government. Every other bit of the public sector has come to a reasonable agreement. I think what we’ve done is fair, it’s reasonable, it’s been endorsed by an independent body.”
Prof Phil Banfield, BMA chair of council, told The Mirror: “Even Conservative MPs agree that if ever there was a group deserving to be more fairly paid, it is junior doctors. It is the Chancellor and Rishi Sunak who are delaying a fair resolution to this dispute. Mr Hunt can either prove that he has learned from his time as Health Secretary about the dangers of an underfunded NHS, or he can use his power as Chancellor to simply let things continue to get worse. The choice is his.”