A change in health secretary may have helped deliver the breakthrough in the resident doctors’ strike, DAUK’s GP co-lead has told national radio listeners.
Dr Steve Taylor was speaking on LBC after the BMA announced the government had ‘made a new offer’ at the last minute which it would put to its members for a vote.
Dr Taylor said: “It’s about who’s in charge and how they are listening.
“It seems to me that when Wes Streeting was in charge, he wasn’t listening anymore and it became a challenge for the BMA to have conversations.
“They’ve now had a conversation with somebody new and managed to get something done.”
Change in health secretary
He added: “It’s possible that the change in health secretary has made a difference. We know that happens a lot.”
Dr Taylor described the agreement as ‘a compromise’ and said he hopes it’s acceptable to both sides.
He said: “It was always a negotiation. It was always a compromise, but from what I’ve read, it seems to fit both sides okay.
“I think it’s going to be good for us as taxpayers and good for resident doctors.”
Rewarded
He added: “We don’t want any strikes. We want people to be working hard in the NHS and being rewarded well for what they do.”
Listen to Dr Taylor’s interview on LBC in full on the DAUK Instagram.
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