The union representing junior doctors has accepted an offer of pay talks with the Government, it was confirmed on Friday night.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the British Medical Association, representing junior doctors, has accepted an offer of pay talks and agreed to suspend industrial action.
In a statement announcing the Government and the BMA would enter talks, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We deeply regret that over 175,000 appointments and procedures were cancelled this week, despite our offer to start formal talks on the condition strikes were paused.
"However, we are pleased the BMA has now accepted our offer to enter talks based on the same terms as with the Agenda for Change unions – which concluded positively this week.
"We want to find a fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK, as we have done with other unions."
The news was confirmed following the conclusion of a three-day strike this week involving junior doctors. Picket lines were in force at all the major hospitals across the region, starting on Monday morning and lasting for 72 hours. They have demanded a 35 per cent pay increase - a claim ministers have said is unaffordable.
Some 64,000 junior doctors went out on strike, making up half of the medical workforce. The term 'junior doctors' covers everyone who has just graduated from medical school to those with many years' experience on the front line, as well as GP trainees.
The news follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute on Thursday, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new pay offer.
The British Medical Association had exchanged letters with the Government following Thursday's announcement of a new offer to other NHS workers, but no date was set for a meeting and no date has been revealed now.
READ NEXT:
