Junior doctors in England strike first time in 40 years

Express.co.uk has campaigned tirelessly in support of Junior Doctors to help them get the deal they deserve. Picture by Simon Hulme.

“First and foremost, we want to negotiate a contract that is fair for doctors, safe for patients and provides a future for the NHS”, it reads in a British Medical Association (BMA) pamphlet.

It follows accusations that the head of NHS England, Sir Bruce Keogh, has attempted to thwart the lawful industrial action of doctors by lowering the thresholds under which hospitals can call junior doctors back into work under any circumstances.

There will be a 48-hour stoppage and the provision of emergency care only from 8am on January 26.

Some 50,000 junior doctors – who represent a third of the medical workforce – are on strike for 24 hours amid government plans to change pay and work schedules.

“We’ve got to live with the decisions we make”, explained Dr Lisa Linpower, a junior doctor in the hospital’s rheumatology department,”I don’t want to make decisions like that when I’m exhausted because if I make a mistake I’m going to want to leave medicine”.

More than 60 junior doctors gathered outside Basingstoke hospital, in Aldermaston Road, as the planned walkout began at 8am this morning.

They are also concerned about the potential removal of contractual safeguards which now protect them from working excessive hours and believe this will impact on patients.

The doctors – medical-school graduates training to be consultants or family practitioners – are providing emergency care for only the 24 hours that started at 8am London time. #istherelifeonMRSA” raised a few smiles amid a heated health care dispute, while football-style chants of “Ole, ole, ole, ole, BMA, BMA’ made a space outside the Jubilee Wing resemble sporting terraces.

“But after two years of the BMA attempting to reach a resolution, there has been a complete breakdown of trust between Jeremy Hunt and junior doctors because he continues to threaten to impose an unsafe and unfair contract”.

Doctors say the fatigue induced by the terms of a new working contract could put patients lives at risk.

Take a look at how hospitals and patients have been preparing for the strike here… After being asked of Mr Hunt’s whereabouts Norman Williams, his senior clinical adviser, told Sky’s Darren McCaffrey: “Hang on a minute, we’re not doing any of this nonsense… we agreed a series of questions”.

The Health Secretary said: “Our absolute priority is making sure the NHS delivers high-quality care, seven days a week”. I’m calling of the Government to recognise the strength of feeling among doctors.