00:00Well the BMA said that their dispute was about pay so the government gave the resident doctors
00:06a 28.9% pay rise. They then said it was about jobs because of the competition for training
00:14places being around four to one so we offered thousands more training places and emergency
00:20legislation to reduce the competition down to less than two to one. I think it's now clear
00:27that what these strikes are really about is the BMA's totally unrealistic demand for another 26%
00:34on top of the 28.9% pay rise they've already had. Not only do I think that is unreasonable and
00:42obviously unaffordable I offered to postpone these strikes to reschedule them for January
00:48because of the enormous risks to patients and the NHS at the worst possible time given the enormous
00:56pressures we're seeing and the disruption caused by flu. The BMA have chosen to strike this week
01:03not only to cause maximum impact and damage to the NHS but choosing to do so at a time when there
01:11is the maximum risk to patients. I think that is irresponsible and I think it's dangerous and even
01:17now if the BMA want to reschedule to January the government will facilitate that.
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