Government needs to start negotiations with junior doctors on a fair pay rise, says Black Country MP

Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden, who is the Labour Party’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said it was important to get around the table and try to negotiate a pay deal which is fair to doctors and taxpayers.

Junior doctors across England are staging a four-day strike, in a worsening dispute over pay which threatens huge disruption to the NHS.

The British Medical Association (BMA) wants a 35 per cent pay increase for junior doctors to make up for 15 years of below inflation wage rises – but the Government has called the claim "unrealistic".

Mr McFadden said: “I don't think the doctors are going to get a 35 per cent pay increase.

"You might remember when the nurses were on strike a month or two ago, I think their union leaders started off by asking for a 19 per cent pay increase.

“I don't think we should be too distracted at the moment by the headline demand or request at the beginning of the strike.

"The important thing is to get around the table and try to negotiate a pay deal that's fair to doctors and also fair to the general taxpayer, who at the end of the day pays all the bills in the NHS.

“That's what needs to happen with neither side putting up preconditions or saying ‘we won't talk to you until this happens or that happens’ because at the moment there's a stand-off and because of the stand-off, the patients are suffering.”

The strike is expected to continue until Saturday morning.

Health chiefs say emergency care is being prioritised during the strike and people are being reminded that 999 and emergency departments are still the right services if it is a life-saving emergency.

However, for anything that isn’t life-threatening, people are being urged to use 111 online as the first port of call for health needs.