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LondonBritain’s state-funded healthcare service is facing what is being described as the longest strike ever, with tens of thousands of doctors in hospital England On Thursday, she began a five-day strike.
The so-called junior doctors, those in the early stages of their careers in the NHS in the years after medical school, began their final strike at 7am, with many making their case for a 35% increase in pay in picket lines outside hospitals across the country. across England.
The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has called for a 35% wage increase to bring junior doctors’ salaries back to 2008 levels once inflation is taken into account. Meanwhile, the workload of England’s 75,000 or so junior doctors has swelled as patient waiting lists for treatment reached record levels in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
BMA leaders Dr Robert Lorenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “Today marks the start of the longest single strike by doctors in NHS history, but this is not a record that needs to be touched upon in the history books.”
They urged the British government, which oversees health policy in England, to drop its “irrational precondition” of not negotiating while strikes are underway.
The government, which is facing a range of strikes by public sector workers in many sectors, is standing firm in its position that it will not negotiate during strikes.
“This five-day exit of junior doctors will have an impact on thousands of patients, put patient safety at risk and hinder efforts to reduce NHS waiting lists,” said Health Secretary Steve Barclay. “Demanding a wage of 35% or more is unreasonable and risks fueling inflation, making everyone poorer.”
Britain, like other countries, is grappling with high inflation for the first time in years. The price increases were initially driven by supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic and then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent energy and food prices soaring. Although inflation has fallen slightly from its peak of 8.7%, it is still well above the 2% level the Bank of England has been tasked with targeting.
A doctors’ strike will cause massive disruption to an already embattled NHS, with operations and consultations postponed or even cancelled.
Dr Simon Stedon, chief medical officer at Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital in south London, urged both sides to return to the negotiating table amid concerns about the impact on patients.
He said 55,000 appointments and nearly 6,000 planned procedures had already been canceled or rescheduled at the hospitals he supervises as a result of the previous strikes.
“Thousands more will need to be canceled over the next two weeks, adding to the significant delays, inconvenience and inherent risks of further delays in diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
The doctors who have taken the strike say they know the impact their walkout will have on the health service, but insist they have left no alternative.
“This is not a celebration, these are years of low wages, deteriorating conditions and frustration, and this is what has peaked as a result,” Alex Gibbs, a stunning 31-year-old doctor, said outside University College Hospital in north London. .
The so-called junior doctors, those in the early stages of their careers in the NHS in the years after medical school, began their final strike at 7am, with many making their case for a 35% increase in pay in picket lines outside hospitals across the country. across England.
The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has called for a 35% wage increase to bring junior doctors’ salaries back to 2008 levels once inflation is taken into account. Meanwhile, the workload of England’s 75,000 or so junior doctors has swelled as patient waiting lists for treatment reached record levels in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
BMA leaders Dr Robert Lorenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “Today marks the start of the longest single strike by doctors in NHS history, but this is not a record that needs to be touched upon in the history books.”
They urged the British government, which oversees health policy in England, to drop its “irrational precondition” of not negotiating while strikes are underway.
The government, which is facing a range of strikes by public sector workers in many sectors, is standing firm in its position that it will not negotiate during strikes.
“This five-day exit of junior doctors will have an impact on thousands of patients, put patient safety at risk and hinder efforts to reduce NHS waiting lists,” said Health Secretary Steve Barclay. “Demanding a wage of 35% or more is unreasonable and risks fueling inflation, making everyone poorer.”
Britain, like other countries, is grappling with high inflation for the first time in years. The price increases were initially driven by supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic and then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent energy and food prices soaring. Although inflation has fallen slightly from its peak of 8.7%, it is still well above the 2% level the Bank of England has been tasked with targeting.
A doctors’ strike will cause massive disruption to an already embattled NHS, with operations and consultations postponed or even cancelled.
Dr Simon Stedon, chief medical officer at Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital in south London, urged both sides to return to the negotiating table amid concerns about the impact on patients.
He said 55,000 appointments and nearly 6,000 planned procedures had already been canceled or rescheduled at the hospitals he supervises as a result of the previous strikes.
“Thousands more will need to be canceled over the next two weeks, adding to the significant delays, inconvenience and inherent risks of further delays in diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
The doctors who have taken the strike say they know the impact their walkout will have on the health service, but insist they have left no alternative.
“This is not a celebration, these are years of low wages, deteriorating conditions and frustration, and this is what has peaked as a result,” Alex Gibbs, a stunning 31-year-old doctor, said outside University College Hospital in north London. .
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