Junior doctors contract: A guide to what's being imposed

Jeremy Hunt has announced the terms of a new contract which will be imposed on junior doctors, after talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) failed.

Included in the "cost neutral" plans was an announced 13.5% increase in basic salaries - up from the 11% proposed in previous offers.

Doctors had earlier claimed that increases in basic pay were offset to a loss of overtime.

The health secretary said the following terms will also be included in the final contract:

• The maximum number of hours that can be worked in one week would be reduced from 91 to 72.

• The maximum number of consecutive nights will be reduced from 7 to 4

• The maximum number of consecutive long days will be reduced from 7 to 5

• No doctor will ever be rostered on consecutive weekends

• Additional pay to those working evenings from 5pm, nights from 9pm to 7am and all day on Sunday

• Plain time hours will be extended to 7am to 5pm on Saturdays

• Those working one in four or more Saturdays will receive a "pay premium" of 30%

• A new guardian role in every NHS trust - who will have the authority to impose fines for breaches of agreed working hours

Mr Hunt claimed the changes would bring "substantial improvements both to patient safety and doctor wellbeing" - adding that 90% of disputed issues had been agreed upon since talks began in November.

He added that three-quarters of doctors would see a "take home pay rise" as a result of the new measures, and claimed "no trainee working within contracted hours will have their pay cut".

However, the British Medical Association said it "cannot and will not accept a contract that is bad for the future of patient care, the profession and the NHS as a whole", adding: "We will consider all options open to us."

The main sticking point in talks appeared to be the issue of Saturday working, with the doctors union wanting Saturdays not to be seen as a normal working day.