Resident Doctors in England to Begin Five-Day Strike in November
Medical professionals in England are set to stage a five-day walkout next month, in protest over jobs and pay.
Walkout Information
The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that resident doctors will strike for five consecutive days from 7am on 14 November to November 19 at 7am.
Resident doctors, who make up nearly 50% of all medical staff in the NHS, are proceeding with the strike after unsuccessful talks with the government.
Reasons Behind the Strike
Dr Jack Fletcher commented, “This is not where we wanted to be. We have spent the last week in talks with government, urging the health secretary to resolve the scandal of unemployed physicians.”
“We know from our own survey half of second-year doctors in England are struggling to find jobs, their skills going to waste whilst countless individuals wait endlessly for treatment and hospital shifts go unfilled. This cannot continue.”
He added, “We talked with the government in good faith, keen for the minister to understand that a deal offering solutions to gradually reverse the pay reductions over a number of years, giving newly trained doctors a raise of only £1 per hour for the next four years.”
“We hoped the government would recognize that our demands are not just fair but are in the best interests of the public and our patients and would also help prevent our doctors departing from the NHS.”
About Resident Doctors
Resident doctors have as much as eight years of experience working as a hospital doctor, based on their field, or up to three years in primary care.
Further information are expected shortly.
