The health secretary has been slammed over condescending remarks towards junior doctors.
Victoria Atkins was interviewed on the BBC as strikes entered their second day. She has urged the British Medical Association to call off the industrial action and get back to talks, but the union has challenged the Government to make an offer first.
The BMA said the offer from the Government, an average 3 per cent rise from January – on top of the average of nearly 9 per cent recommended by the independent pay review body in April – was not enough to make up for below-inflation pay rises since 2008.
It has asked for a full pay restoration that the Government said would amount to a 35 per cent pay rise – which ministers have said is unaffordable.
But in comments that are likely to enrage medical professionals, Atkins struck a condescending tone on BBC Breakfast as she described junior doctors as “doctors in training”.
According to the BMA’s website, junior doctors are qualified doctors who are simply in clinical training, and have completed a medical degree and can have up to nine years’ of working experience as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to five years working and gaining experience to become a general practitioner (GP).
As Dr Ellen McCourt put it, “there may be times when I am the most senior doctor on a ward in my specialty, but I am still training, and will be for several years.”