Junior doctors enter new 'intensive phase of talks' with government over pay dispute

Junior doctors in England have entered talks with the government with a view to end their long-running dispute over pay.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said that its junior doctors' committee had entered a new "intensive phase of talks" with the government, which is being facilitated by an external mediator.

In a statement, co-chairs of the committee Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: "We have been in dispute for more than a year with the government over declining junior doctor pay, exploring various avenues to try and resolve it.

"We have been looking at ways of restoring trust between parties and believe that an independent mediator can help break the logjam.

"We hope to reach a credible solution as soon as possible"

It comes just weeks after junior doctors in England voted by a huge margin to continue taking industrial action until September.

The BMA had previously urged the health secretary to make a new offer after announcing that its members backed more action by 98%.

Junior doctors have staged a series of walkouts over the past year as part of a campaign by the BMA for their pay to be restored after years of below-inflation increases.

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