Junior doctors in the British Medical Association (BMA) have refused to call off next week’s three-day strike.
They were responding to health secretary Steve Barclay’s invitation to enter formal pay talks, made on the condition that junior doctors cancel all planned strike action.
Co-chairs of the BMA’s junior doctors’ committee, Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, wrote: “We remain open to entering talks with government anytime and anywhere to bring this dispute to a swift resolution and restore the pay that junior doctors have lost.
“We would encourage you to reconsider the preconditions that are currently preventing talks from taking place.
“As you have known for more than two weeks, our strikes will commence on Monday. And you also know, until we have a credible offer, we are not in a position to call them off.” - PA