Junior Physicians in England to Stage Five Consecutive Day Walkout in November
Medical professionals in England are preparing to begin a five-day walkout next month, due to disputes regarding pay and employment.
Strike Details
The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that junior physicians will walk out for five days in a row from 7am on 14 November to November 19 at 7am.
Resident doctors, who constitute nearly 50% of all medical staff in the National Health Service, are taking this action after failed negotiations with the health department.
Causes of the Walkout
Dr Jack Fletcher stated, “This is not where we wanted to be. We have spent the last week in talks with officials, urging the health minister to end the scandal of unemployed physicians.”
“We know from our own survey 50% of second-year physicians in England are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst countless individuals endure long waits for care and hospital shifts go unfilled. This cannot continue.”
He continued, “We negotiated sincerely, hoping the health secretary to see that a agreement including options to gradually reverse the pay reductions over several years, providing newly trained doctors a pay increase of only £1 per hour for the next four years.”
“We hoped the government would see that our demands are not just fair but are in the interest of the community and our those we treat and would also help stop our physicians leaving the NHS.”
Who Are Resident Physicians?
Resident doctors have anywhere up to eight years’ experience practicing in hospitals, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in primary care.
Further information are expected shortly.
