![\"Demotix](\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/files\/2016\/03\/PA-24474747-300x200.jpg\")
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This week, junior doctors in England will be taking industrial action for the third\u00a0time so far this year in response to the\u00a0government’s decision to impose a new contract on the profession. The strike action will result in junior doctors offering emergency care only for 48\u00a0hours from 8am on Wednesday 9 March to 8am Friday 11 March. If you have any news, pictures, thoughts, or tweets to offer us on the industrial action, please send them to Gareth Iacobucci at giacobucci@bmj.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Sunday 13th\u00a0March<\/strong><\/p>\n 09.30\u00a0– Today,\u00a0a group of NHS staff and patients announced that they have instructed Bindmans LLP solicitors to investigate judicial review proceedings against the government over the imposition of the new contract.<\/p>\n While the BMA has already announced a legal challenge<\/a> on\u00a0the\u00a0grounds that the health secretary has failed to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment, the organisers said this fresh challenge \u201cis significantly broader in scope, examining many other aspects of the decision to impose a contract on junior doctors with issues of patient safety at its heart.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben White (pictured below with fellow junior doctors and organisers Nadia Masood, Marie McVeigh and Fran Silman), said ,“Forget the lies and propaganda. The imposition of the junior doctors’ contract affects all NHS service users. Staff know that the lack of workforce planning, lack of cost modelling, plus rota and staffing issues, create a perfect storm where patient safety will inevitably be compromised. We must challenge this contract in the High Court. A judicial review would consider all relevant factors and hold the government accountable for decisions it has made. Ultimately, this is about public safety.”<\/em><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Friday 11 March<\/strong><\/p>\n 09.12 – The 48 hour strike from junior doctors may have ended just over an hour ago, but the dispute is far from over\u00a0with two further strikes planned next month.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Thursday 10 March<\/strong><\/p>\n 16.05 –\u00a0Jason Sarfo-Annin, a junior doctor currently on sabbatical at the Harvard School of Public Health, has written this article<\/a>\u00a0for The Telegraph <\/em>on the dispute. \u00a0The piece\u00a0– which is well worth reading –\u00a0argues that the\u00a0Government hasn\u2019t been honest about its motivations surrounding this dispute, and that it is “absurd” to think that\u00a054,000 doctors can all be misled by the BMA.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n 15.12 – The BMA has issued a\u00a0statement<\/a> from the\u00a0junior doctor committee chair Johann Malawana discussing the latest action which will run until 8am tomorrow.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cNo junior doctor wants to take this action but we have been left with no choice following the government\u2019s decision to impose a contract that is unfair on junior doctors and could damage the long term delivery of patient care in England. The fact that tens of thousands of junior doctors have supported this action in the past two days, with 147 picket lines taking place across the country, demonstrates the depth of feeling amongst grass roots doctors about this politically driven imposition.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe deeply regret the disruption to patients and we remain open to talks with the government to try and resolve this dispute. We have held meet the doctor events across England aimed at engaging with the public about the reasons behind this dispute.”<\/em><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n 14.45 –\u00a0NHS England issued this update<\/a> on the number of elective procedures that have been postponed because of the industrial action this week.<\/p>\n Data collected prior to the strike\u00a0showed that 2,077 inpatient procedures and 3,817 day case procedures had been cancelled this week.<\/p>\n Anne Rainsberry, national incident director for NHS England, said, \u201cA 48-hour stoppage puts considerably more pressure on the NHS. The impact of the action so far is broadly in line with what we were expecting but we know that the second day is going to be more difficult and have made sure plans are in place to respond to any rising pressures.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPatient safety is always our absolute priority and staff across the country will be doing everything they can to make sure patients can continue to access urgent and emergency services.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n 14.18 – More lifesaving lessons below including this video demonstration.<\/p>\n #JuniorDoctorsStrike<\/a> Our fantastic team showing us how its done! #heartstart<\/a> #simulation<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/vfKt8XrT26<\/a><\/p>\n — Barts Junior Doctors (@BartsDrs) March 10, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n
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