NHS staff and bosses hit out at junior doctors’ contract imposition

The government's decision to unilaterally impose a new contract on junior doctors has been met with widespread condemnation from within the NHS.

Criticisms have been led by the British Medical Association, with a number of NHS bosses moving to distance themselves from claims that they supported health secretary Jeremy Hunt's choice to impose the contract.

The names of 20 NHS chief executives appeared on a letter from the government's chief negotiator, advising Mr Hunt to do "whatever it deems necessary" to end the dispute, but ten of the signatories have since spoken out against the decision.

Meanwhile, the Royal College of GPs has issued a statement saying the new contract would damage morale among NHS workers, and called for the government to demonstrate that it has performed a thorough risk assessment to evaluate its possible impact on patient safety.

Dr Maureen Baker, chair of the RCGP, said: "Doctors choose medicine because they genuinely want to care for their patients and contribute to the health service. It is evident that junior doctors do not think the proposed contract will allow them to do this."