Junior doctors must join BMA by 23 October to take part in ballot

Junior doctors wishing to take part in a ballot for industrial action in response to plans to impose a new contract must join the BMA by 23 October, the association has said.

The BMA said that around 5600 doctors had joined the association in the past few weeks, most of whom were juniors.

Junior doctors who are already members must ensure that the BMA has their up to date place of work details by 23 October. This is to ensure that the association can meet legal requirements and inform employers that members will be taking industrial action, if required.

At its meeting on 26 September, the BMA’s UK Junior Doctors Committee voted not to re-enter contract negotiations and to ballot members.1 The proposed new contract for junior doctors in England would be introduced from August 2016. It would change the way that junior doctors are paid and reduce the number of working hours classed as antisocial.

The BMA said that ballot papers would shortly be sent to trainees in England, although it said that a date for this had not yet been set.

In Wales and Scotland the governments have confirmed that they will not impose a contract on their juniors. The BMA said that the government of Northern Ireland continued to be “engaged in discussion” with junior doctor representatives, and officials have reiterated that “no decision” has yet been made over whether to impose a contract on trainees there.

Johann Malawana, chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, will speak at the BMJ Live event on 23 October. For more details and information on how to attend, go to: http://careersfair.bmj.com/