Junior Doctors Strikes

Slosh

Although I am feeling relieved that the first week of strikes is the week after my appointment I was thinking how upset I would have been if it was cancelled due to the action, and how many people it will effect.

Personally, I supported the previous strikes, but this new round both worries and frightens me. It seems to be about much more than the new contract and plans to impose it, and I think it is also largely due to the loss of morale, and frustration about the pressures the junior doctors now face
They have now announced monthly strikes of 5 days from now until the end of the year.

I think this is very risky, the numbers that will be affected, and the risk of something going very wrong, and a death being "caused".

Just wondered what others think.

daffy2

I suspect many people will be in 2 minds about the situation. On the one hand such lengthy disruption to an already struggling service will have huge impacts on patients, but on the other something has got to be sorted out, not least because this is only the start of the problems. JDs already cover all 7 days of the week - what happens when consultants et al have to be brought into the so-called 7 day NHS - even assuming that is a sensible and workable project?
I wish that attention would turn to what is self-evidently completely ineffectual management(and therefore unacceptable waste of money on salaries) within the NHS. After all there are many instances of facilities lying empty or under-used for want of a bit of lateral thinking about using resources to best advantage - it's not always about lack of staff, or even money in some cases.

barbara12

I wish that attention would turn to what is self-evidently completely ineffectual management(and therefore unacceptable waste of money on salaries) within the NHS. After all there are many instances of facilities lying empty or under-used for want of a bit of lateral thinking about using resources to best advantage - it's not always about lack of staff, or even money in some cases.
Totally agree daffy..the downfall of the NHS started when they employed managers and such..just why they cant see this is beyond me
I would be upset, to put it lightly if my op was cancelled, but something will break if the doctors have to continue on the hours they do..

Kitty

I'm very anxious. I'm waiting to begin my Rituximab infusions. I know you only have 2 over 2 weeks. I'm also waiting to have a Zolendronic infusion. I've been waiting about a year to get all this sorted.

stickywicket

The Junior Doctor's leader, Dr Ellen McCourt, said "The government has consistently said this is about creating a seven-day NHS, when junior doctors already work weekends and it's been shown that the government has no answer to how it will staff and fund extra weekend care.”
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I think Theresa May made a big mistake in keeping J Hunt as Health Sec. The Junior Docs didn't trust him then. Why would they trust him now?

I would be devastated if the strikes resulted in someone I loved not having the care or operation they needed but, let's face it, that's happening all the time without strikes. As daffy has pointed out, the causes are multiple. Demonising the Junior Docs is not the answer.

mig

Im frightened for the future of our health service which was second to none now its in the hands of money men.Mig

TheLordFlasheart

Jeremy Hunt almost appears to have a personal vendeatta against the NHS.

Makes you wonder what his true motives are, which cannot be good for the HNS in the long run.

Im not going to be affected by these strikes, been in the early stages of OA, but what will the NHS be like in 10-20 years when my OA will be getting progressively worse, and I need more support from them?

Airwave!

The strikes are in nobodies interests, staff, patients, NHS or the countries.

If this is to end it will be by talking, why don't the doctors go back and talk? Because they've made a political point out of it.

An interesting point was made by a political correspondent yesterday, pointing out that by putting strike dates on a calendar the doctors have lost the fight. He listed the times in the past when its been done and each one lost due to public opinion when we were affected by the work that was lost and disruption to our lives. We wait and see.

I was hoping to get an appointment, fat chance for a long while?

stickywicket

Airwave! wrote:

why don't the doctors go back and talk?

They will. It's Jeremy Hunt who won't.

Slosh

Heard Jeremy Hunt on Today the other morning saying he will talk.

I think like the NUT strikes it's not now just about the one issue it's now anti-government.

The number of days is ridiculous, 10 days over two weeks in October? Begs the question of how can they afford to loose so much pay? I have a feeling fewer doctors will be on strike in total this time.

stickywicket

I must have missed JH on Today.

This is what Full Fact says in summary. I do love them as they make the difficult intelligible to even me

"Negotiations in May resulted in a contract for junior doctors being agreed between the government, the British Medical Association (BMA) and NHS Employers. But members of the BMA voted against it. The government is going to phase the new contract in from October 2016. A judicial review of whether this is legal will take place in September. The BMA has announced that four more strikes are planned before the end of the year." http://tinyurl.com/zwtjkc9

Starburst

I'm not sure what to think anymore. I do support the junior doctors and I think if they back down, it's the first step towards JH decimating our NHS. On the other hand, I think he's going to do it anyway. I strongly suspect his agenda is to sell it off to his chums to have stakes in private companies. :?

daffy2

[quote="Starburst" I strongly suspect his agenda is to sell it off to his chums to have stakes in private companies. :?[/quote]
My understanding is that his family is involved in such companies, and this has been a source of discontent for many - he cannot be said to be a disinterested(in the correct and legal sense of that word) party.

stickywicket

Before being made Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt co-authored a policy pamphlet which, among other things, called for the NHS to be replaced by a system of private insurance.

Safe in his hands? I don't think so.

daffy2

Before being made Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt co-authored a policy pamphlet which, among other things, called for the NHS to be replaced by a system of private insurance.

Safe in his hands? I don't think so.

The official line re: that situation is that it is useful to explore all possibilities - which would be acceptable if the person(s) doing the exploring weren't in a position to profit from the change to the status quo.

stickywicket

Anyone seen this site? It's quite scary. http://nhsforsale.info/

daffy2

Some time ago there was a push to close smaller hospitals to concentrate resources into modern big hospitals. At the time I wondered about the wisdom of that in view of the increasing incidence of infection problems closing hospitals to admissions. It was a plan that only partly went through as envisaged in this part of the world, but enough happened to still cause difficulties. The crunch time tends to be when norovirus strikes( prevalent in these parts for some reason) which, when coupled with increased winter illness in general can lead to the 3 regional hospitals being partly or completely closed at the same time.
It looks rather as if a programme of closure and amalgamation is again being considered, with all the attendant risks of having all eggs in one basket. The fact that such rationalisations tend to be to the considerable disadvantage of those who need to use the services is of course a minor detail....Few if any of the people responsible for such ideas have to live with the reality of transport difficulties - unaffordable or unavailable - which face many service users. And as the article points out demand doesn't go away just because facilities are closed.

Richmcfinn

Well seems to me that the government (successive ones in fact) and the media woud have us believe that the NHS is rolling in excess cash but wastes it all!

I dont see an abundance of money I just see cuts cuts cuts hospitals closed numbers of beds reduced the abandonment of proper training of enough nurses and other carers. People sent home when they really need to stay in overnight because of not enough staff and beds etc we have all experienced the many facets of the starvation of our service -or know of others who have. Outsourcing to private companies rsesulting in loss of quality I could go on and Id be fuming more and more.

Time someone made a stand, the junior doctors have guts and I am with them all the way. I dont want to wait longer for an op (as I did this year) nor see anyone suffer worse, but if the government plans come into effect there will be extra deaths and suffering on an ongoing basis. I dont want to see life or death decisions made by people who are suffering from sleep deprivation and exhaustion.

On one of their strike days I saw them in Bristol in one of the open green spaces training the public in CPR. I want to see them fight and win for all of us.

stickywicket

Well said, Rich. I couldn't agree more.

Airwave!

I have become increasingly sceptical about politicians and their social engineering, I don't trust them one inch.

I often feel that we don't have much choice and the changes are already far down the road.