Trainee doctors began a three-day strike from 7am Monday as the British Medical Association (BMA) stepped up its campaign for massive wage increases.
Members of the BMA voted overwhelmingly in favor of the strike last month. Nearly every would-be doctor voted to strike, and turnout was over 77 percent.
Nearly 37,000 votes were cast, and 98 percent of them were in favor of the strike, marking the highest BMA turnout ever, with a record number of young doctors supporting the strike.
What’s up with the strike?
The 72-hour strike means a “complete stoppage of work” for the 47,600 BMA members, including night and shift shifts and a lack of essentials.
On Wednesday, novice doctors of the Association of Specialist Doctors and Hospitals, which is also involved in the restoration of wages, also go on strike.
Consultants are expected to replace some of the work of junior doctors, although about 200,000 non-emergency appointments and surgeries are expected to be delayed.
The BMA describes the strikes as the “first round of action” in its fight against the government. Striking young doctors will return to work on Thursday from 7 am.
What are the doctors asking for?
The union is campaigning to bring wages back to 2008 levels, arguing that young doctors’ real wages have fallen by 26.1 percent over the past 15 years. According to their own calculations, the recovery will be associated with a 35.3 percent increase in wages.
The BMA has two other goals: to agree with the government on a mechanism to prevent a fall in the cost of living and inflation in the future; and reform the DDRB (Physicians and Dentists Review Body) process to independently and fairly recommend salary increases to ensure the recruitment and retention of medical trainees.
The union said there had been “no significant interaction” with the government in recent months before Health Secretary Steve Barclay invited the BMA to a last-minute meeting.
Mr Barclay said he offered talks “on the same grounds other health unions have agreed” after a planned strike by tens of thousands of key workers was put on hold when the government agreed to discuss this year’s wages.
EMTs, physical therapists, nurses and midwives have been in talks with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSC) since Tuesday. But the talks did not include junior BMA doctors, who said the invitation came too late to prevent a strike this week.
How important are doctors in education
On the eve of the strike, the BMA launched an advertising campaign saying that young doctors could make more money “serving coffee than saving patients”.
The campaign reads: “Pret a Manger have announced they will be paying up to £14.10 an hour. A resident earns just £14.09. Thanks to this government, you can serve more coffee than save patients. Junior doctors will be on strike this week to get paid what they deserve.”
Physician assistants are licensed clinically trained physicians who treat patients in a hospital or general practice. The terms “junior” and “senior” in the medical profession indicate whether a doctor is still in training and whether he can practice his profession on his own without supervision.
The title “physician assistant” can refer to anyone below the medical specialist level, from newly qualified medical practitioners to medical specialists. 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 a year.
What does the government say?
Mr Barclay said: “It is incredibly disappointing that the British Medical Association turned down my offer to enter into formal wage negotiations on the condition that strikes be suspended.
“I appreciate the hard work of young doctors and call on unions to sit down at the negotiating table and cancel strikes that threaten patient safety and hinder efforts to close the backlog. I want to find a fair deal that recognizes the important role of junior doctors and the broader economic hardships the UK is facing.
“I have had constructive and meaningful discussions with the unions of nurses, ambulance workers and other non-medical workers who have agreed to end the strike, and negotiations continue this week.
“We have worked closely with NHS England on contingency plans to protect patient safety during strikes, prioritizing emergency, emergency and emergency care, but there will inevitably be some disruption for patients.”
NHS leaders said they were “very concerned” that a strike by junior doctors would take the disruption caused by the recent strikes to a new level, pose a risk to patient safety and delay work to address supply backlogs. Talks between the government and other health workers’ unions continue this week in hopes of a breakthrough in the long-running NHS pay 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.