Junior Doctors in the UK to Begin Five-Day Walkout in November
Medical professionals in the UK are preparing to stage a five consecutive day walkout next month, in protest over pay and employment.
Strike Details
The BMA stated that resident doctors will strike for five consecutive days from November 14 at 7am to November 19 at 7am.
Resident doctors, who make up about half of all medical staff in the NHS, are taking this action after unsuccessful talks with the health department.
Causes of the Walkout
Dr Jack Fletcher stated, “We did not want to reach this point. We have been negotiating for the past week with government, pressing the health minister to end the crisis of doctors going unemployed.”
“We know from our own survey 50% of second-year physicians in the UK are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst countless individuals endure long waits for care and hospital shifts remain vacant. This cannot continue.”
He added, “We talked with the government in good faith, keen for the minister to understand that a deal including options to gradually reverse the cuts to pay over several years, providing recent graduates a pay increase of just a pound an hour for the coming four years.”
“We trusted the government would see that our demands are not just fair but are in the best interests of the public and our those we treat and would also help prevent our doctors leaving the NHS.”
Who Are Resident Physicians?
Junior physicians have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, based on their field, or as many as three years in general practice.
More details will follow soon.
