United Kingdom junior doctors conclude first strike

Junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said junior doctors felt they have had been “left with no option” but to take action. “It’s no secret that most of us will be on the picket lines”.

Dr Megan Parson, a junior doctor at the Royal Oldham, said: “We didn’t want it to come to this but we felt that we had no choice”.

What is the dispute about?

The strike was called over a new type of contract which the government says will improve healthcare at night and at weekends but the doctors say it would drastically reduce their pay.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was keeping off the airwaves this morning. However, to offset the higher pay rise, the contracts slash the number of hours each weekend for which junior doctors can claim extra pay for unsocial hours.

Under the Government’s offer, junior doctors would receive time-and-a-half for any hours worked Monday to Sunday between 10pm and 7am, and time-and-a-third for any hours worked between 7pm and 10pm on Saturdays and 7am and 10pm on Sundays.

Mr Hunt argues that, under the new deal, just 1% of doctors would lose pay and those would be limited to doctors working too many hours already.

“One of the main problems is they are going to stop the safeguarding measures which limit the amount of hours you can work”, she said.

The British Medical Association, which is negotiating on their behalf, maintains that junior doctors and patient care will suffer as a result of the new contract, whereas the Government maintains both with be better off.

But even now, Sandwell Hospital in West Bromwich has declared a level 4 incident and told its junior doctors they must attend work, a statement from Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust said. I’m sure it’s also affecting those considering becoming doctors in the future, putting them off a career in medicine as they think they will be overworked.

A doctor’s primary duty of care is to look after patients, and to go on strike seemingly contradicts this basic principle. There were three weeks of talks up to Christmas and then one day of negotiations, which failed to reach an agreement.

Trainee doctors in England will provide emergency-only care during the strike, similar to the medical service offered on Christmas Day in the country.

On Wednesday February 10, there will be a full withdrawal of labour from 8am to 5pm.