Junior doctors may strike until March 2024 or beyond, leader says

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He said: “That will give us an extended six months’ mandate which will look towards March of 2024 and if we need to we will re-ballot again during that period to extend our mandate further.” Asked if he is in this for the long haul, Dr Laurenson replied: “Our members have given us a clear instruction; they would like us to pursue full pay restoration back to 2008 and that’s what we intend to do in our representation of our doctors and our healthcare system.” It comes after Dr Laurenson said there will be disruption for patients during next week’s strike – but would not apologise. It’s a disaster and it’s a disaster that falls primarily at the feet of Government Dr Rob Laurenson Dr Laurenson said accepting the Government’s offer would have meant “another real-terms pay cut”. “So unfortunately we’ve had to call for another three days of strike action and I’m afraid that there will be some disruption in elective and outpatient care for patients, which I don’t think anyone in this country can afford, so I don’t understand why the Government won’t come back to the table and won’t put a credible offer to the table.” When asked if he wanted to do so, Dr Laurenson would not apologise to those patients who have been waiting for years for non-urgent appointments and procedures. “It’s the Government’s responsibility to fund and resource a healthcare system that works for everyone in this country.” Again asked if he would apologise, he said: “The strikes don’t have to go ahead though.