This year’s conference, which will again be taking place online, will present an opportunity for trainees to have their say on issues affecting them and the NHS.
Motions to be debated will cover a wide range of interests and categories including education and training, terms and conditions of service, public health and the NHS. Motions that are successfully passed at the conference are then adopted as JDC policy.
Among the motions set to be considered at this year’s conference are calls to enhance environmental sustainability and reduce environmental impact within training and the NHS.
Pregnancy rights
This year’s conference will also include calls for new guidance designed to protect the health and wellbeing of pregnant doctors required to stand for prolonged periods, by giving them the right to opt out of such shifts.
Other topics likely to be the subject of debate include the disruptive effect of emergency rotas in NHS workplaces, calls for a campaign for enhanced pay for all junior doctors who worked such rotas during the pandemic, and a demand for statutory education bodies across the UK to provide protected development time for all junior doctors.
The conference will kick off on 7 May with a grassroots seminar, which provides an optional training session on the protocols and procedures for those new to conferences, followed by the main conference on 8 May.
The junior doctors conference takes place once a year and acts as the primary BMA policy setting body for junior doctors in the UK. Register now >