Emergency room patients sit on carts that block aisles while medics scurry between them, trying to stabilize those in critical condition and in pain, according to the exhausted junior doctor.
Sumi Manirajan, who works at a hospital in northwest London, told me: I she regularly sees needy patients who wait long hours for their shift in pain, a situation that seems “inhuman”.
The resident doctor, who is already considering leaving the NHS in just two years, said she began most of her consultations with her parents by apologizing for the long wait.
Dr. Manirajan said: “We have all seen the recent headlines, the National Health Service is in dire straits, patients are suffering at home while waiting to be seen. What I see is that patients in the emergency room wait a very long time for the doctor when they are really unwell and in pain.
“In shift work, we have very few staff, we run from patient to patient to stabilize patients who are very sick and in severe pain. Carts are blocking the corridors, causing the emergency room to overflow and the corridors to be full of patients in carts.
“Many, if not all, of my consultations begin with an apology for the excruciatingly long wait. Forcing a patient into intense pain without being judged or worried about how bad they are is not human.”
Dr Manirajan, who is in her second year as a doctor with the NHS, said she was already considering leaving due to the circumstances, a decision many of her colleagues have considered or made.
A recent study by BMA, Dr. Manirajan, a survey of over 4,500 doctors found that 40% of young doctors actively plan to leave the NHS as soon as they can find another job. Pay and working conditions were among the main reasons they wanted to leave.
A vote on a possible strike will be held in March for 72 hours for future doctors. Paramedics and 911 operators will leave on Wednesday after postponing a December 28 strike.
Dr. Manirajan said she began to explore leaving the NHS after experiencing staff shortages in a number of services.
“It all started after a series of shifts where there was a strong understaffed staff. I came home exhausted every night, waking up in the morning feeling completely unenergized, just like the night before bed.
She said doctors are “currently under a lot of stress” because they wanted to provide good medical care to their patients but were unable to do so in the current situation.
Members of the BMA began voting on Monday during a three-day strike in March. It states that successive governments have seen real pay cuts for young doctors in England over a period of 15 years, amounting to “an astonishing and unjustified 26.1 per cent pay cut since 2008/2009”.
To go on strike, a majority of junior doctors vote for action with a turnout of at least 50 percent.
In the event of a strike, other doctors not affected by the strike, such as medical specialists and medical specialists, continue to work. The sickest patients continue to receive care, but this may lead to the cancellation of many operations and appointments.
Dr. Manirajan said she regrets the impact the strike has had on patients.
“We have been trying to get the government to listen to our concerns about how things are in the NHS at the moment and we are very sorry that it has come to this,” she said.
“I know that there will be patients who are waiting for a long time in line for surgery. It is possible that if the government does not want to negotiate with us, does not go to a meeting with us, their appointment may be cancelled. I really want to apologize, it’s heartbreaking. We don’t want that.”
The BMA survey also found that 51% of doctors surveyed had difficulty paying their utility bills in the past year, while 81% said they had reduced their heating bills where they lived, and 78% said they were spending less on heating bills. shopping daily.
Dr Manirajan said she spoke to some of the F1 doctors – those who have just graduated from medical school and are in their first year of practice – who are “only paid £14 an hour”.
She said: “Now it is very difficult for them to pay rent, utility bills, fees and registration fees.”
Dr. Manirajan added that if the strike succeeds in reaching a collective agreement, it will cause a domino effect in solving personnel problems, making the profession more attractive for both trainees and working junior doctors.
She said: “These doctors who have lost are not only Australia, Canada, New Zealand, but also other specialists in the UK, if we can keep them, hire and return doctors who have gone through a better salary deal and, in our turn, improve these working conditions, because you are no longer so understaffed.
“This will go a long way in addressing the talent crisis that we are currently experiencing.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.