Professor Wendy Reid responds to junior doctor contract offer

Professor Wendy Reid, national Director of Education and Quality and Medical Director, Health Education England, said:

A firm contract offer for juniors has now been published.

It is crucial for trainees to feel that they have a voice and I would urge them to use that in negotiations. With the assurances of a limit to night shifts and consecutive long shifts among important issues, I hope the British Medical Association’s Junior Doctors’ Committee will agree to return to talks. None of us want to see strike action – it is not good for doctors, not good for the service and not good for the patients we serve. I hope the publication of the contract offer today can break the impasse.

Health Education England is clear that any employment contract must allow for high quality training and high quality care. I am clear that doctors in training are the backbone of the NHS today – diagnosing, treating and caring for patients while continuing their own learning and development that will ensure they are the clinical leaders of the future and should be valued as such.

I really hope that junior doctors will take time to properly consider the offer that has been set out today and that agreement can be reached at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure that doctors, the NHS and patients get the best possible outcome.

I know we share a common aim to support patient needs both now and in the future by providing safe, high quality care.