A DEMONSTRATION will be held in Oxford tomorrow against the new junior doctors' contract as it was determined this afternoon the Health Secretary is not imposing it.

Doctors from the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals will be joined by the Keep Our NHS Public campaign and the Larry Sanders, Green Party Candidate for Witney from 6pm tomorrow night in Bonn Square.

It marks the continuing opposition of junior doctors and their supporters to new staffing contracts due to come into effect from October.

At 12.20pm today Mr Justice Green issued a judgement following last week's High Court battle between health secretary Jeremy Hunt and a doctors' campaign group called Justice 4 Health.

The judge ruled in favour of Mr Hunt but clarified that the health secretary is not 'imposing' the contract.

He concluded that Mr Hunt had approved the contract but had not compelled employers to adopt it.

The Judgment states: “First, the Secretary of State does not purport to exercise any statutory power that he may have to compel employers within the NHS to introduce the proposed terms and conditions.

"Second, he acknowledges that in principle individual employers are free to negotiate different terms with employees."

Employers including Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have the freedom to choose whether or not to adopt Hunt’s recommended contract.

The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, has suspended industrial action by junior doctors planned for October, November and December.

OUHFT had already laid the ground work for the contract to come into effect. It has set up a project board, including six junior doctors elected by peers, to ensure the "efficient and timely" implementation. It also has a newly-appointed 'Guardian of Safe Working Hours'.

It is not known whether OUHFT will press on with the new contract regardless. No response is expected from the trust today.

The protest will be followed by talks from the BMA, trade unions and politicians in The Mitre, High Street at 7pm.