JUNIOR doctors at Dorset County Hospital have welcomed an agreement between the government and the British Medical Association.

A long-running dispute over a new contract has led to several strikes by doctors in recent months.

The BMA and the government reached an agreement over the contract last week after the government had previously said it would be imposing the contract on junior doctors.

The contract will now have to be voted on by junior doctors at the latter end of next month before it is agreed.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt also welcomed the agreement, saying that it was necessary to deliver a safer seven day NHS.

He said the talks were constructive and positive and called the deal a definitive step forward.

Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA junior doctor committee chair, said he was pleased with agreement, saying it represented the best and final way of resolving the dispute.

Tarn Stroud, junior doctor at DCH, has echoed this, calling the result a positive step.

She said: “It’s a great step forward and we’re really relieved.

“As of yet I’ve haven’t seen the published version of the contract and that will be the time where we have a read and have a look through the bits that concerned us.

“It’s great news that they could reach an agreement. I’m looking at it as a positive thing.

“It gets rid of a lot of job uncertainty for a lot of us who weren’t willing to work under the new contract but also wanted to work and wanted to do so in a safe environment.”

The referendum for junior doctors to have their say is planned for the second half of June.

The new contract and supporting materials will be published on Tuesday, May 31, before a roadshow will be carried out to explain the new contract.

The referendum will then take place between June 17 and July 1 before the result is announced on July 6.

Tarn said that she hopes this will mean the end of the strikes and doctors can get back to work.

The BMA has said that the key improvements for junior doctors in the contract are recognition of their work and contribution across every day of the week, and that there will be proper consideration of and provision for equality in the contract, with concrete support, including targeted accelerated training and pay protection for parents and carers.

There will also be flexible pay premium for specialities to address a current recruitment and retention crisis in these areas.

There is also more rigorous oversight of the new guardian role to ensure safe working for doctors.