• Junior doctors have voted against the latest contract offer, voting 58% to 42% against the deal.

• BMA junior doctors' chair Dr Johann Malawana has resigned with immediate effect. 

• The BMA still has a mandate to take strike action, the new junior doctors' lead will decide on next steps

Following the last junior doctors' strike a 'referendum' was announced to take a ballot of members, to decide whether or not to accept the contract offer. The contract covered weekend and night working, basic pay, the role of new 'guardians of safe working', equalities issues, and imposition versus introduction of the contract.

68% of eligible members voted in the ballot, which closed last Friday.  In his resignation letter, Dr Malawana said "Given the result, both sides must look again at the proposals and there should be no transition to a new contract until further talks take place.”


Commenting on the outcome, Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

“Clearly, we are very disappointed that the ballot of junior doctors has resulted in a rejection of the new contract, and that this may lead to further uncertainty for patients and NHS trusts. We recognise that there are still wider non-contractual issues that have contributed to low morale among junior doctors, leading to this outcome.

“The NHS and its workforce are under considerable pressure from rising demand, deteriorating finances, and the uncertainty caused by the result of the EU referendum. A situation of further uncertainty over the contractual status of junior doctors, who are a key and valued part of the NHS workforce, is something we had hoped to avoid.

“We urge all those concerned to work together to try and find a way forward so that the care NHS trusts provide for patients is not compromised.”