JUNIOR doctors have put their strikes on hold to enter formal pay negotiations with the Department of Health.
It will be the first time since December that real talks have taken place.
The breakthrough is a ray of hope for desperate patients and hospitals who have endured nearly 18 months of protests.
The relationship between the British Medical Association and Conservative ministers broke down as both sides refuse to bow to the other’s demands.
Wes Streeting, the new Health Secretary, insists he can succeed where his predecessors failed and thrash out a deal.
He said today: “After a second constructive meeting, I am pleased to announce that my department will enter formal negotiations with the BMA junior doctors’ committee on Tuesday.
“This is a crucial step forward.
“This government has been honest with the public about the terrible economic circumstances we inherited, and I have repeated that message in meetings with the junior doctors.
“But I am encouraged by our early meetings that there is a deal to be done.
“Strikes have had a significant cost to patients, staff, and the NHS.
“Serious work is now underway to finally bring them to an end.”
We expect negotiations will conclude by 16th August
Dr Robert Laurenson
It comes after the BMA met with Streeting on just his second day in the job.
More than 20,000 junior doctors walked out in one of the most controversial strikes so far, just days before the general election.
They have been on strike 11 times since March last year, knocking out 44 working days.
More than 1.2million appointments have been postponed or cancelled and more than £1.5billion has been spent dealing with the fallout.
BMA strike leaders Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “We are pleased to announce that formal negotiations will begin on Tuesday 23rd July.
“We have set an expectation that these will conclude by the time of our executive meeting on 16th August.”
