Junior Physicians in the UK to Stage Five Consecutive Day Walkout in November
Medical professionals in England are set to begin a five consecutive day walkout in November, in protest over jobs and pay.
Walkout Information
The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that junior physicians will walk out for five consecutive days from November 14 at 7am to 7am on 19 November.
Resident doctors, who constitute about half of all doctors in the National Health Service, are taking this action after unsuccessful talks with the health department.
Causes of the Walkout
Dr Jack Fletcher stated, “We did not want to reach this point. We have spent the last week in talks with officials, pressing the health secretary to end the crisis of doctors going unemployed.”
“Our survey reveals half of second-year doctors in the UK are struggling to find jobs, their skills going to waste whilst countless individuals wait endlessly for treatment and shifts in hospitals remain vacant. This is a situation which cannot go on.”
He continued, “We negotiated sincerely, hoping the health secretary to understand that a deal offering solutions to gradually reverse the cuts to pay over several years, giving recent graduates a pay increase of only £1 per hour for the next four years.”
“We trusted the government would see that our asks are not just fair but are in the best interests of the community and our patients and would also help stop our doctors departing from the health service.”
Who Are Resident Physicians?
Junior physicians have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, based on their field, or up to three years in general practice.
Further information are expected shortly.
