Responding to a story in the Financial Times, which reports that senior health officials have discussed banning UK doctors from going on strike, BMA council deputy chair Dr Emma Runswick said:

“This would be a totally unacceptable assault on the right to strike were it proposed by any government, but particularly troubling if these discussions are happening in a Labour government and in a department run by a Labour secretary of state. It would also be a scandalous breach of Labour’s manifesto commitments around workers’ rights.  

“The Labour Party claims it represents working people and originally emerged from the trade union movement, so any discussion around cracking down on unions and workers’ rights would be at odds with its very founding principles and should be a huge cause for concern for all unions and professions, not just the BMA and doctors.

“When the Government repeatedly ignores the very professionals on the frontline of the NHS when they sound the alarm about the crisis in our health service, they must have the final option of industrial action.  

“Patients are having operations or appointments postponed every single day in the NHS due to understaffing and lack of beds, and undervaluing staff contributes to that. Banning doctors from expressing their concerns with legitimate industrial action lets the Government off the hook, devalues staff further and makes these problems worse.

“We saw the previous Government bring in legislation to enforce ‘minimum service levels’, but never used it, because it would have needed to outline what was perceived as ‘safe’ staffing – which in turn would have forced them to admit the uncomfortable truth: that staffing on any non-strike day is already woefully unsafe due to a lack of support and investment in healthcare services.

“The Health Secretary has in recent days been at pains to paint the BMA and resident doctors as unreasonable, but what was unreasonable was him moving the goalposts at the very last minute in discussions. If the Government is now considering banning doctors from striking as a response to us rejecting an offer, this would show who the real unreasonable party is.”

Ends

Notes to editors

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.