Junior Physicians in England to Begin Five Consecutive Day Strike in November
Medical professionals in the UK are set to begin a five consecutive day walkout in November, due to disputes regarding jobs and pay.
Walkout Information
The BMA stated that junior physicians will strike for five consecutive days from 7am on 14 November to 7am on 19 November.
Junior physicians, who make up about half of all medical staff in the NHS, are proceeding with the strike after failed negotiations with the government.
Reasons Behind the Strike
The chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee stated, “We did not want to reach this point. We have been negotiating for the past week with government, urging the health secretary to resolve the crisis of unemployed physicians.”
“Our survey reveals 50% of second-year physicians in England are struggling to find jobs, their talents being unused whilst countless individuals endure long waits for care and shifts in hospitals go unfilled. This cannot continue.”
He added, “We talked with the government in good faith, hoping the minister to see that a deal including options to slowly restore the pay reductions over a number of years, providing recent graduates 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 reasonable but are in the best interests of the public and our those we treat and would also help prevent our physicians leaving the NHS.”
About Resident Doctors
Resident doctors have anywhere up to eight years’ experience practicing in hospitals, based on their field, or up to three years in primary care.
Further information are expected shortly.
