Resident Physicians in the UK to Begin Five-Day Strike in November
Doctors in the UK are preparing to begin a five-day walkout next month, in protest over pay and employment.
Strike Details
The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that resident doctors will strike for five consecutive days from November 14 at 7am to 7am on 19 November.
Junior physicians, who constitute about half of all doctors in the National Health Service, are taking this action after unsuccessful talks with the health department.
Reasons Behind the Strike
Dr Jack Fletcher stated, “We did not want to reach this point. We have spent the last week in talks with officials, pressing the health secretary to end the scandal of unemployed physicians.”
“We know from our own survey half of second-year doctors in England are facing unemployment, their skills going to waste whilst countless individuals endure long waits for care and shifts in hospitals remain vacant. This is a situation which cannot go on.”
He added, “We negotiated sincerely, keen for the minister to see that a deal offering solutions to gradually reverse the cuts to pay over several years, providing newly trained doctors a raise of just a pound an hour for the next four years.”
“We hoped the government would recognize that our asks are not just fair but are in the interest of the community and our patients and would also help prevent our doctors leaving the health service.”
About Resident Doctors
Resident doctors have as much as eight years of experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in primary care.
Further information will follow soon.
