Leaders of the British Medical Association (BMA) will today deliver a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The petition, which contains 4,500 signatures, demands that the Government approve new contract proposals for staff and associate specialist (SAS) doctors.  Government approval allows the contract to go out to ballot by BMA members.

The negotiated NHS contract has been delayed since November 2006, when health ministers and the Public Sector Pay Committee failed to give the contract clearance and consequently a ballot cannot take place.

Mohib Khan, chair of the BMA’s SAS Committee, said today: “SAS doctors are vital to the NHS and we spend almost 100 per cent of our time delivering direct clinical care. There are around 12,500 of us in the UK and yet most people are unaware of our existence. 

“All other groups of UK doctors, GPs, consultants and juniors have had their new contracts and yet we have been left, demoralised and frustrated.  The new Prime Minister can show he values us by unblocking the contract deal and giving us the chance to vote on it.”

Dr Sally Winning, chair of the BMA's Scottish SAS Committee, who will take part in the delivery of the petition to Downing Street, said: "In Scotland around 1,500 SAS doctors work in the NHS.  The majority of them work part time and around half are women. 

“A career in the SAS grade should not be seen as a punishment or a sign of failure, rather it should be a positive career choice for those of us who want to dedicate our time to direct patient care.  We are the last NHS staff group to receive modernised terms and conditions of service.  We are just asking for the opportunity to vote on this new contract."