RCS backs cross-party proposal to pilot junior doctors' contract

Commenting on the publication of a cross-party letter recommending piloting of a new junior doctors’ contract, Miss Clare Marx, President of the Royal College of Surgeons, said:

"The current contract dispute is a lose-lose situation for all parties, especially patients. If the Government proceeds with imposition in its current form it will inflict further damage on workforce morale and ultimately patient care. The planned industrial action is neither in the interests of the public nor doctors. Medical royal colleges have consistently called for an end to contract imposition and industrial action.

‘We strongly back this cross-party proposal for piloting the contract. It charts a possible way out of the current impasse and provides an opportunity to evaluate the impact of the new contract on access to training opportunities, recruitment, diversity, and working patterns. Patients must come first. The dispute must come to an end."

Notes to editors

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is a professional membership organisation and registered charity, which exists to advance surgical standards and improve patient care.

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