16:55 Elsewhere today, the Scottish Health Survey has found that women between the ages of 16 and 24 have ‘significantly lower’ levels of mental wellbeing compared with other age groups, new figures have revealed.
The survey of 5,000 adults also found that levels of mental wellbeing for all other age groups were similar – with little difference between men and women.
The BBC reports that 23% of women aged 16-24 reported higher levels of self-harm compared with 19% of men.
Scottish Labour’s inequalities spokeswoman Monica Lennon attacked the SNP Government over the report’s findings, adding: ‘It’s appalling that young women in Scotland have significantly lower levels of mental health, with almost a quarter having self-harmed.
‘The Scottish Health Survey also reveals a postcode lottery, with children and young people in the most deprived communities more likely to have lower levels of good mental health.’
14:10 The case at the High Court over the new junior doctor contract between campaign group Justice for Health and health secretary Jeremy Hunt has concluded today.
Justice for Health – a group of junior doctors – mounted a case against Mr Hunt’s imposition of the new contract, which the group claimed yesterday in court was ‘unsafe and unsustainable’.
Barrister Jenni Richards QC, representing the group of junior doctors, told the court today that Mr Hunt’s contract decision ‘should be quashed’, and argued ‘that he could recommend a new contract but had no power to impose one’, the Guardian reports.
But Mr Hunt’s legal team claimed he did not go ‘beyond the scope of this powers’, and approved the new contract but did not ‘compel’ NHS Employers to use it.
Thank you to all of our supporters. The Judicial Review has now ended. Judgement will be passed on the 28th September 2016 #JustHealth
— Justice for Health (@Justice4Health_) September 20, 2016
11:30 Junior doctors are being polled by BMA union members, amid fears ‘thousands now oppose industrial strike action over the new contract’.
The Telegraph reports that a leaked memo suggests that the dispute could end if the junior doctors were ‘not willing to take part in further industrial action’.
The leaked emails come after the BMA’s junior doctor committee confirmed last week that it would be pushing ahead with the strikes each month until December, despite calls for them to be cancelled.
An email, sent from JDC member Dr Kitty Mohan to 9,000 junior doctors in the South Thames area said: ‘Since the most recent programme of industrial action was announced last month, many have written to us individually, or informed either the BMA centrally, your hospital junior doc reps, or your trainee group that your views may have changed.
Her email went on to ask members to reply to the survey, ahead of the BMA meeting this weekend.
Dr Mohan added: ‘If you do not respond, we will have no choice but to presume you are not willing to take part in further IA [industrial action] and wish the dispute to end.’
9:35 Good morning and welcome to the live blog.
There is a big health story that has been covered in the national media this morning involving the announcement of new NHS plans that will force NHS doctors in England to declare their income from private work.
The new plans are intended to ’boost transparency and avoid conflicts of interest’, the BBC reports.
NHS England chairman Sir Malcolm Grant, who led a review on the issue, said the details should be published on a hospital register from April – but claimed it was not an attempt to restrict private work of consultants.
