Junior Doctors' Strike

stickywicket

What's your verdict?

barbara12

It cant be easy for them to strike, but I am sure they must feel the need to ..I dont know all the facts but it seems they want them to work longer hours for not much extra pay..hopefully they will come together with the government and sort something soon..Its scary how the NHS seems to be on its knees..

frogmorton

I trust our Drs...I have every reason to. Not sure about the strike being all-out it's a scary thought, but they really must feel they have no option l suppose.....

Glad anyway Lucy's last chemo fell today not tomorrow.

Love

Toni xxx

stickywicket

Whoops! I forgot to vote.

Of course I'm with them. I remember the bad old days. When I had my first chemI (naturally scared stiff) it was around 5pm and the junior doctor administering it had been in our ward most of the previous night dealing with tricky situations and also all day. She came with my chemo trying desperately to keep her eyes open. I had to talk to her to keep her focused. Never again.

applerose

I think they are giving the junior doctors a pay rise but then they are stopping money from else where. They want them to cover a 7 day week (which they often do anyway) but where are they getting the extra doctors from? I'm sure I read somewhere that to balance their hours/wages, they were going to have to work a day unpaid once a month. It's crazy that they need to work very long hours when they hold our health and even our lives in their hands. I hope the government see sense.

GraceB

I'm behind them totally. All the medical staff in the NHS do a wonderful job under very trying circumstances. If the Junior Doctors are too tired to think and work effectively (and safely) mistakes will happen. These mistakes will cost lives. Lives are too precious to be put at risk.

GraceB

Airwave!

I think the government and the doctors need their heads banging together, if these are the cleverest people in the country then god help us.

The only way out is to talk.

dreamdaisy

Junior doctors know exactly what they are signing up for when they make their career choice. My hospital has cancelled 46 operations and over 300 outpatients' appointments for today and someone in London is blathering away that she should be working and caring for her patients; yes sweetie, you should. DD

mig

I hesitate to join this discussion as I'm not so articulate as some on here,I agree with what DD has said we all know what we are letting ourselves in for no matter what job we do but we just get on with it as should junior drs,if we aren't careful we will lose the health service as it was meant to be,i hope to god its not in my lifetime. Mig

stickywicket

Airwave! wrote:

The only way out is to talk.

But the government won't. They're refusing to.

DD - oh DD, we cross swords at last Forum fight, folks

I disagree. They signed up for one set of rules and now the government is imposing another which the junior docs, backed by the BMA, see as a danger to patients. I don't think docs abandon their patients lightly but J Hunt has consistently refused to negotiate with them.

Mig - The NHS is already on its knees for very many reasons. This is just another nail in the coffin.

daffy2

Given the length of time it takes to train I would question whether JD's do/did know what they were signing up to?
The question of pay is a difficult one, but I don't think anyone would be too pleased at the idea of having a paycut imposed on them,especially for unsocial hours.
The bigger concern however is the weakening of protection from excess hours, as even the current arrangements don't always work as they should.
And yes, the government isn't keen to talk unless it's to agree to their terms. I still think that it's less than ideal that the person in charge is someone whose personal views and family connections hardly make him a disinterested(in the correct sense of that word) party at the negotiating table.

Slosh

Living in London I think it is outrageous that Tube Drivers who have far lower entry requirements, far shorter training, and get overtime payments are paid MORE than junior doctors.

The government is not listening, you can't do more unless you fund it properly, in many ways it is already a 24/7 service, to do more not only requires Drs to change their working practices but nurses and all the other services as well.

Every time I see Jeremy Hunt I can't help but remember the very unfortunate spoonerism made when he was the Minister for Culture.

daffy2

in many ways it is already a 24/7 service, to do more not only requires Drs to change their working practices but nurses and all the other services as well.

Quite, and since the JDs already are required to work out of hours and weekends it seems perverse to be going for them - except that I suppose even Mr Hunt baulks at the idea of demanding that the likes of consultants, surgeons, anaesthetists should also work weekends as routine. Pity as it would help to deal with waiting lists and make better use of very expensive premises. Just imagine if hospitals worked like the Fitzpatrick vet clinic currently on TV - open 24 hours a day(not just for emergencies) and staffed accordingly!

mig

Yes Sticky it is a nail in the coffin of the nhs but who is weilding the hammer.Medicine is not just a job its a vocation.
I remember my dad talking about when his mother was ill and they were trying to scrape together the pennies to pay the doctor and if we are not careful we will be there again.
Im sat here swaying backwards and forwards for or against i truly don't know. Mig

bubbadog

I understand how stressed they are after being in the Alex & Q.E with my accident, one of the junior Dr's came to see me after 10pm when I got to the ward at the Q.E from A & E and the poor woman was so stressed her bleeper was going off continually while she was trying to examine me and she rushed off from me and forgot her mobile phone so I was high on morphine and wobbled to the nurses station to give it and got a telling off for getting out of bed with the amount of morphine in my system!! As long as they have enough Dr's to cover emergencies then I'm with them! They don't get enough pay for the hours and stress they have to deal with while those M.P's get paid enough to build bloomin forts round their expensive homes/manors!!

Airwave!

The doctors have had the last few years to talk! How on earth are either side going to work towards an end to this ridiculous farce without takking?

applerose

I agree that the JDs signed up to one set of rules but the government is trying to move the goal posts. Asking them to work many more hours than they already do is asking for trouble. One JD has already resigned and others are threatening to follow suit. A&E is being covered by senior doctors so anyone needing emergency treatment will be seen. Many more routine operations and appointments have been cancelled recently due to lack of staff than have been cancelled yesterday and today.

ichabod6

Having seen some photographs of the picket lines on tv,
all I can say is God help us when they grow up and become
consultants.