LONDON (Sputnik) – A lawsuit was filed by a Justice for Health group accusing Hunt of exceeding his duties and exerting pressure on the National Health System (NHS), The Telegraph reported. The Health Department could not introduce new contracts before the court’s verdict.
In early 2016, Hunt announced plans to introduce a new employment contract for junior doctors, under which they would be paid less for weekend shifts, sparking major protests in a number of UK cities.
On May 18, after several days of talks, the UK government and the British Medical Association (BMA) agreed to ensure that junior doctors would receive normal rates of pay for Saturdays and Sundays with extra pay overnight for the whole week. The proposal, however, was rejected by doctors in a referendum that concluded in early July.
