Agenda item

Junior Doctors’ Industrial Dispute

It was moved by Councillor Brian Webster, seconded by Councillor Robert Murphy, that this Council:-

(a)       believes in the fundamental principle of the NHS - that quality healthcare should be accessible by all, and free at the point of access - and understands that this would not be possible without the contributions made every day by the dedicated and highly skilled professionals who work in the health service;

(b)       notes that Sheffield is privileged to be the location of a number of world-class NHS hospitals, which not only help to keep people healthy and save lives, but are also major employers in this city;

(c)        believes that junior doctors are a vital part of the healthcare team that keeps hospitals in Sheffield and across the country functioning at their best, and believes that without their efforts the NHS would be unable to function;

(d)       believes it is only fair that those who are working hard to protect the health and wellbeing of the people of Sheffield should be fairly rewarded for their efforts, with appropriate compensation and with adequate safeguards to prevent staff being required to work excessive hours;

(e)       notes the nearly unanimous (98%) support from junior doctors balloted for strike action in response to the proposed new junior doctors’ contract, on a turnout of 76%;

(f)        respects this result, fully supports the right of junior doctors to take industrial action, and agrees with the British Medical Association’s (BMA) assessment that the proposed new contract is “unsafe for patients and unfair for doctors”;

(g)       welcomes the commitment of the BMA to take steps to ensure that urgent and essential care can be provided by other doctors and NHS staff in the event of a strike;

(h)       hopes that strike action by junior doctors can be avoided by a fair and mutually agreeable deal being reached between the BMA and the Secretary of State for Health, and therefore urges the Secretary of State to accept the BMA’s offer of going to the Acas mediation service for further negotiations to reach such a deal;

(i)         believes that if a fair resolution to this dispute cannot be found, the Secretary of State risks driving many junior doctors out of the profession, or even out of the country entirely, in search of fair pay and employment conditions, and believes that this would be a regrettable outcome and deeply damaging to Sheffield’s hospitals and to the NHS in general;

(j)         calls upon all Members to support junior doctors in their ongoing fight for a fair contract, including in the event of industrial action; and

(k)        requests officers to send a copy of this motion to the Secretary of State for Health, and to the Yorkshire Regional Junior Doctor Committee.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Robert Murphy, seconded by Councillor Brian Webster, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (h) and the addition of a new paragraph (h) as follows:-

(h)        hopes that strike action by junior doctors can be avoided by a fair and mutually agreeable deal being reached between the BMA and the Secretary of State for Health, so welcomes the commencement of talks via the Acas mediation service, the Secretary of State’s temporary lifting of his threat to impose the new contract, and the consequent postponement of the first day of strike action which had been scheduled to occur on 1st December, 2015;

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.