BMA temporarily suspends strike action

The BMA has temporarily suspended industrial action and agreed to enter negotiations with the government on the junior doctors’ contract.

The government has agreed to temporarily suspend plans to impose a new contract on juniors in England in August 2016, after conciliatory talks facilitated by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

In a statement, Acas said that NHS Employers, which negotiates doctors’ contracts on the government’s behalf, had agreed to extend the time frame for the BMA to commence any industrial action by four weeks to 13 January 2016, to allow negotiations to …