, 07 January 2016, Tags:
The British Medical Association has called for three junior doctor walkouts – the first taking place on Tuesday 12 January – after a breakdown in talks. We in the Green Party unequivocally support the junior doctors who are going on strike.
They have been offered an 11% pay rise, which on the face of it seems reasonable. However, what the government is also doing is cutting pay for extra hours worked. Working long hours (days in fact) without a proper break has always been a key part of hospital culture, but this does not make it right. Junior doctors can work 12 back-to-back night shifts of up to 12 hours each, and 90-hour working weeks are not uncommon. Removing the safeguards that protect them from working too long will affect patient care negatively.
Doctors have very rarely gone on strike, but when 98% of junior doctors vote for strike action, this indicates a major concern with the contracts they are being offered. I believe that we should all be listening to the doctors on the NHS front line rather than trust the words of the health secretary, who is imposing these contracts from on high without addressing the major concerns of safeguarding and pay cuts.
Lee Burkwood
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/07/jeremy-hunts-war-on-junior-doctors-leaves-them-little-choice
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