Resident Physicians in England to Begin Five-Day Walkout Next Month
Medical professionals in England are preparing to stage a five consecutive day walkout next month, in protest over pay and employment.
Strike Details
The BMA announced that resident doctors will strike for five consecutive days from November 14 at 7am to 7am on 19 November.
Junior physicians, who constitute nearly 50% of all doctors in the NHS, are taking this action after failed negotiations with the government.
Causes of the Walkout
The chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee stated, “We did not want to reach this point. We have spent the last week in talks with government, pressing the health minister to resolve the scandal of unemployed physicians.”
“We know from our own survey 50% of second-year physicians in England are facing unemployment, their skills going to waste whilst millions of patients endure long waits for care and hospital shifts go unfilled. This is a situation which cannot go on.”
He added, “We negotiated sincerely, keen for the minister to understand that a agreement offering solutions to slowly restore the cuts to pay over several years, providing recent graduates a pay increase of just a pound an hour for the next four years.”
“We trusted the government would recognize that our asks are not just fair but are in the interest of the community and our patients and would also help prevent our physicians departing from the health service.”
About Resident Doctors
Junior physicians have as much as eight years of experience practicing in hospitals, based on their field, or up to three years in general practice.
More details are expected soon.
