Junior Physicians in the UK to Begin Five Consecutive Day Walkout in November
Medical professionals in the UK are preparing to begin a five-day walkout in November, due to disputes regarding pay and employment.
Strike Details
The BMA stated that resident doctors will walk out for five days in a row from 7am on 14 November to November 19 at 7am.
Resident doctors, who constitute about half of all medical staff in the NHS, are proceeding with the strike after unsuccessful talks with the health department.
Causes of the Walkout
Dr Jack Fletcher commented, “This is not where we wanted to be. We have been negotiating for the past week with officials, urging the health minister to resolve the crisis of doctors going unemployed.”
“Our survey reveals half of second-year doctors in the UK are struggling to find jobs, their skills going to waste 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 see that a deal including options to slowly restore the cuts to pay over a number of years, providing newly trained doctors a pay increase of only £1 per hour for the next four years.”
“We trusted the government would recognize that our asks are not just reasonable but are in the best interests of the public and our those we treat and would also help prevent our physicians departing from the NHS.”
About Resident Doctors
Resident doctors have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice.
Further information are expected soon.
