Trainee doctors are the latest NHS workers to go on strike, with the British Medical Association (BMA) confirming that the strike lasted 72 straight hours in March.
Nurses and paramedics have already quit for several days this year due to wage and staffing disputes, causing significant disruption to the healthcare system.
The BMA said Health Secretary Steve Barclay left young doctors “no choice” but to go on strike after more than 26 percent real wage cuts.
Nearly 40,000 junior doctors voted in favor of the union’s action in the latest vote, and hospital authorities and employers have been informed that the strike will continue. Here’s everything you need to know.
When is the youth strike?
72 hour strike begins Monday, March 13 and finish in the morning Thursday, March 16confirmed by BMA.
Up to 47,600 medics will leave hospitals without essentials after overwhelming support for union action. This marks a sharp escalation in the battle between NHS workers and the government over pay increases.
A strike entails a complete stoppage of work, including night shifts, consignment shifts and out-of-town work.
In a small action, budding doctors represented by the Hospital Consultant and Specialist Association (HCSA) also voted to strike.
According to the union, 397 out of 531 eligible voters took part in the voting. Wednesday, March 15this means it will coincide with the BMA strike.
Why are young doctors on strike?
The BMA reports: “From 2008 to 2009, the salary of junior doctors was reduced by more than 25 percent. The lack of public investment in salaries makes it difficult to recruit and retain junior doctors. This puts additional pressure on the NHS and makes it harder to deliver the health care professionals expect.
“Juniors are an important part of the NHS workforce. We are demoralized, exhausted and facing a future in an overburdened and underfunded healthcare system.”
Physicians in training have been excluded from the payroll process for 2022/23 as their contracts continue to be governed by a multi-year salary agreement. According to the BMA, this contract should be reviewed as conditions “have changed dramatically due to the global pandemic, rising inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.”
Dr. Rob Lawrence and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA Young Doctors Committee, said: “Make no mistake, this strike was an absolute gift from the government in preventing it; You know it, we know it, and our patients should know it too.
“Since last summer, we’ve been trying to get every health minister we’ve had to the negotiating table. We have written many times, and even yesterday we were hoping that Steve Barclay would see the need to join with us to find a workable solution that could prevent this strike.
“We were not told why we were not offered intensive negotiations and what we need to do to get the government to start negotiations with us. We have no other choice but to continue this action.”
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said the young doctors’ wage demands were “unrealistic” and said their strike would “put patients at risk”.
Ms Caulfield told the BBC. Breakfast: “We are absolutely concerned about the statement that junior doctors will not necessarily protect emergency rooms and intensive care units. This is really worrisome because these are really the sickest patients who need urgent help and care.
“My understanding from the BMA is that their current demand as to why they are on strike is a 26 percent pay rise, but that is unrealistic and not feasible.
“The strike with these demands on the table is unfair to patients – let’s sit down and discuss future payment arrangements and fix this, but it’s glaring and, most importantly, can’t cover emergency care as well as emergency care,” and guarantees ITU coverage. very, very difficult and puts patients at risk.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said: “We greatly value the work of junior doctors and understand that supporting and retaining NHS staff is one of our key priorities.
“As part of the multi-year agreement we reached with the BMA, residents’ wages have increased by a total of 8.2 percent since 2019/20. We have also introduced higher wages for our most experienced employees and raised rates for night shifts.
“The Minister of Health and Welfare has met with the BMA and other medical unions to discuss pay, working conditions and workload. He has made it clear that he wants to continue the conversation about how we can make the NHS a better place to work for everyone.”
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.