Trainee doctors may “make more coffee than save patients,” the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned ahead of a 72-hour strike starting tomorrow.
NHS hospitals are bracing for even more chaos as trusts across England begin a three-day strike. Up to 47,600 medical professionals will leave without emergency care, which is expected to result in the cancellation of 200,000 surgeries and appointments.
The National Health Service said it will prioritize resources to protect emergency and intensive care, maternity care and, where possible, patients who have been waiting the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.
But with about 61,000 junior doctors making up half of the medical workforce, the move is expected to lead to one of the biggest strikes in the NHS and have a huge impact on efforts to reduce waiting lists for elective benefits.
On the eve of the strike, young medical leaders launched an ad campaign saying they could make more money by donating Pret a Manger coffee. Newly qualified healthcare workers earn £14.09 an hour based on a 1 full-time base salary of £29,384 in 2022-23, according to the BMA.
Pret, on the other hand, announced earlier this month that it would increase staff salaries by a third in 12 months, with baristas able to earn between £11.80 and £14.10 an hour depending on location and experience. The highest hourly rate in the new rates since April includes a premium for good service.
The title “Junior Physician” can refer to anyone below the level of a medical specialist, from medical graduates to specialist registrars. Depending on their specialty, they have up to eight years of experience as a hospital doctor or up to three years in general medicine. Experienced young doctors typically earn between £50,000 and £60,000.
The BMA said that trainee doctors in England had suffered a 26.1% real wage cut since 2008/2009 and were campaigning for wage refunds.
At the launch of the campaign on Sunday, the BMA said: “Pret a Manger has announced they will pay up to £14.10 an hour. A resident earns just £14.09. Thanks to this government, you can serve more coffee than save patients. This week junior doctors will go on strike to get paid what they deserve.”
Dr Becky Bates, a freshman from the Midlands, said: “I thought being a doctor would allow me to achieve financial independence, but instead I am still completely dependent on others. With student loans, credit cards and personal loans, I graduated from medical school with over £100,000 in debt and now my salary is not even enough to fix my car if something goes wrong.
“I noticed that I only drive during the day because my headlights are not working properly. I am from an incomplete family. I don’t run out of money, but at 28, I trust my mom to take on credit card debt so I can cover those expenses. It’s humiliating for me and unfair to her.
“Looking ahead, I will have to move to another hospital in another city as part of my education, but I have no idea how I can afford it if I have to move. I can’t even afford to pay for the exams I need to advance my career.”
Dr. Bates said her situation is “far from unique” and that she and her colleagues are going on strike as a result. To meet the BMA’s demand for a wage restoration, budding doctors would have to receive a 35.3 percent pay raise, which officials say is unrealistic.
Dr. Robert Lawrence and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: “Is £14.09 an hour really worth all junior doctors? These are people who can provide life-saving care, have received extensive medical school training and have built up a debt of around £100,000 in the process.
“We fully support that every worker should receive a pay rise in line with inflation, and it’s worth considering that the government has cut the pay of young doctors so much so that they can earn more by serving coffee. Is it any wonder that young doctors are looking for work abroad or elsewhere when the government tells them they are worth more than a quarter less than they were in 2008?
“Losing such valuable clinicians to other countries and professions, while waiting lists are reaching an all-time high, means that patients will suffer even more than they already have. That’s why the doctors are on strike.
“We are fighting for the return of our wages. We are fighting to restore our value. We are fighting to rebuild our workforce so that the NHS can be an effective healthcare system again.
This week, the future doctors of the association of hospital doctors and medical specialists are also on strike – for the first time in the history of the union. Members leave on Wednesday after 97 percent voted in favor of the union’s action.
On Friday evening, Health Secretary Steve Barclay extended a last-minute invitation to the BMA to begin formal wage negotiations. The invitation, sent shortly before 10 p.m., came on the condition that junior doctors accept a series of conditions, including that all planned strikes be canceled immediately.
The BMA responded that it was open to talks with the government at any time, but it was too late to call off the strike on Monday.
The head of NHS Providers, who represents the trusts, said it was “very disappointing” that the union’s lawsuit could not be averted.
Sir Julian Hartley said: “This is a setback for the NHS. Patients will suffer, who will suffer even more damage, and staff, whose morale will suffer even more. It’s good to see that there are now plans in place to fix a major incident. The public expects nothing else.
“But for Trust leaders, preparing for strikes is a serious and unwelcome distraction from the pressing need to address the NHS’ core strategic objectives, including closing backlogs.”
Pay talks between the government, the Royal College of Nursing and other health workers’ unions will begin their second week tomorrow as both sides seek a breakthrough in their dispute.
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.