BMA is acting like a cartel and threatening future of NHS, Wes Streeting says

Wes Streeting has accused the British Medical Association (BMA) of acting like a cartel and threatening the future existence of the NHS.

The Health Secretary told delegates at the NHS Providers’ conference in Manchester that “some of the most effective lobbyists against paying higher tax” are the BMA’s consultants committee and its pensions committee.

He said the BMA was inflicting “damage and disruption” on the health service with its strikes, with another walkout by resident doctors – who make up around half of all doctors in the NHS – set for five days from Friday.

Mr Streeting said the Government would not “be held to ransom” by the BMA and that it was clear the union was no longer a professional voice for doctors.

Mr Streeting was asked during a question and answer session whether there was a case for making it illegal for doctors to strike in the same way that the police are banned from striking.

“Unsurprisingly, as a Labour politician, that’s certainly not my instinct and there’s a reason why we support people’s right to withdraw their labour,” Mr Streeting said.

“What I’d say to the BMA is, with that power comes a responsibility and a duty of care to patients.

“And honestly, look at the turnout in that latest ballot, and look at the level of mandate they got for it.

“A majority of resident doctors didn’t vote for this strike action.”

He said resident doctors have had a 28.9% pay rise and he was increasing training places as well as making offers in areas such as exam fees.

“I cannot think of a precedent in British trade union history where, after that level of pay rise, people have then chosen to walk out on strike,” he said.

“And I’ve listened to what they’ve said in the media … and they are basically saying the same thing, which is, ‘We want more, we want it now, and we’re not interested in the choices and trade-offs that you have to contend with in government’.”

He said thousands of NHS workers “have not had a pay rise anything like what resident doctors have had”.

And he said strike action “causes untold misery and disruption to patients who could do without it.”

He added: “Let me tell you, when we ask some of the wealthier to pay more, some of the most effective lobbyists against paying higher tax are the BMA consultants committee and the BMA pensions committee.

“So what they effectively do is say, ‘We want other people to pay the higher salaries for doctors’ and, as much as a cancer survivor I think my surgeon is worth his weight in gold, we have to be honest and realistic about the challenges in the system, the challenges of public finances and the challenges facing every family, and it’s time for the BMA to get real.

“But one way or another, we’re not going to be held to ransom. We are going to plough on regardless.

“And I think it’s become increasingly clear that the BMA is no longer a professional voice for doctors.

“They are increasingly behaving in cartel-like behaviour, and they threaten not just the recovery of the NHS under this government, they threaten the future of the NHS full stop. And I think that is a morally reprehensible position to be in.”

Mr Streeting was applauded for his comments, including by NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey.

NHS figures show that consultant average full-time equivalent earnings are £127,540 a year.

A BMA spokesperson said: “The BMA is advocating effectively for doctors to find a solution which gets doctors into jobs so that they can see patients and reverses lost pay so that it keeps them in the workforce now and in the future.

“The Secretary of State should recognise the importance of demonstrating that the Government values the NHS workforce, not blaming them for taking action when their pay’s value remains a fifth below where it was in 2008, and doctors struggle to find work even as patients wait many months to see a doctor.

“There will be a way to end this dispute, and like any professional association and trade union, we are first and foremost interested in getting back around the table with Government to negotiate properly and reach a solution on both jobs and pay for the benefit of all.”

Earlier, Mr Streeting told the conference he believed “we can still cut waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament, something few thought possible when we made the commitment in opposition.”

It comes after analysis by the Health Foundation in September found the Government will fall short on the 18-week pledge if current trends continue.

Daniel Elkeles, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said Mr Streeting was “right to warn there will be no winners if this week’s walkout by resident doctors goes ahead”.

He added: “It’ll be a major headache which could bring the progress made on patient care, safety and NHS finances grinding to a halt.

“We’re getting ready to make the NHS as ‘winter-proof’ as possible, but a costly five-day strike could wipe out productivity boosts in a flash.

“We all want to improve the working lives of valued resident doctors and it’s not too late for talks between the union and Government to avert more days of disruptive strikes.”