MPs urge Hunt to accept trial of junior doctors contracts in bid to avoid strike

The letter calls on Mr Hunt to accept limited trials of the new contracts Credit: PA

Junior doctors would abandon their planned two-day strike if the government agrees to a limited trial of his new contracts instead of a blanket introduction, ITV News understands.

A deal put forward by a cross-party group of MPs calls for the Health Secretary to introduce a limited pilot scheme of the terms.

A source at the British Medical Association (BMA) told ITV News: "If the government were to agree to this then we would be prepared to meet with it to discuss the possibility of calling off Tuesday and Wednesday's action.”

In a letter to Mr Hunt, Labour's Heidi Alexander, Conservative Dr Dan Poulter, Lib Dem Norman Lamb and the SNP's Dr Philippa Whitford said they believed trial would allow for the effect of the contracts, and whether they will have an impact on weekend death rates, to be "independently evaluated".

Thousands of junior doctors across England are due to go on strike for two days next week, starting at 8am on Tuesday, with the walk-out expected to cause massive disruption.

In their letter the MPs write:

The so-called 'weekend effect' sees higher mortality rates for patients admitted to hospital at weekends.

The BMA has said the figures are flawed.