UK Junior Doctors agree to strike with 98% approval - Polidicks

[quote]Junior doctors in England have overwhelmingly voted in favour of going on strike in their dispute with ministers over a new contract. Some 98% voted in favour of a full strike and 99% in favour of action just short of a full strike. The first walk-out will start on 1 December with another two dates earmarked for later in the month. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the doctors' decision was "very, very disappointing" news. "Study after study has shown that our mortality rates at weekends are too high," he added. "We put forward a very fair offer for doctors, which will see pay go up for three-quarters of junior doctors. We wanted to talk about this to them, but in the end they have chosen to strike so we will have to put in contingency plans." He also said that the government's offer had been "misrepresented". The British Medical Association (BMA) said it was "inevitable" disruption would be caused to patients as a result of the strikes. The action is likely to lead to the cancelling and rescheduling of thousands of routine appointments, tests and operations with the NHS forced to prioritise emergency cases. BMA leaders said they regretted this, but added ministers had left them no choice because the contract was "unsafe". The union has asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to get involved to offer independent arbitration - something the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which normally stays out of politics, has said it supports. The dates for industrial action are: 08:00 GMT 1 December to 08:00 GMT 2 December (junior doctors to staff emergency care) 08:00 GMT to 17:00 8 December (full strike) 08:00 GMT to 17:00 16 December (full strike) The BMA balloted just over 37,700 members - over two-thirds of the workforce - and 76% took part in the ballot. ... The vote comes after thousands of doctors have taken part in a series of protests in recent months in the contract dispute. Talks broke down last year, and ministers have since said they will impose the new contract from next year. As the ballot papers went out a fortnight ago, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt made a last ditch attempt to persuade doctors to accept the offer. He wrote to all the doctors in the country with a fresh offer. It included a promise of an 11% rise in basic pay, but the BMA said this was misleading as it was offset by curbs to other elements of the pay package, including unsociable hours payments. Ministers have promised to protect pay for the first three years of the deal. But the BMA has said there are insufficient safeguards to stop hospitals overworking doctors and they could lose out financially in the long term.[/quote] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34859860[/url]

People should pressure the government to provide doctors fair compensation for their work.

Even as someone who is normally highly critical of the Unions in this country, I think that the doctors were right to chose to strike. The way that the government has treated them is absurdly bad and hasn't given any concessions at all.

Don't piss off the people that'll be saving your life one day :P

I'm not from the UK. What are the terms that they are protesting against?

[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;49145289] edit: fun fact, the word cunt is cockney slang for the Jeremy Hunt[/QUOTE] wot. You sure you aren't thinking of "berk" which means cunt and is rhyming slang for "Berkley Hunt"? [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] I can at least guarantee you that the word cunt is infinitely older than Jeremy Hunt

[QUOTE=EuSKalduna;49146029]wot. You sure you aren't thinking of "berk" which means cunt and is rhyming slang for "Berkley Hunt"? [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] I can at least guarantee you that the word cunt is infinitely older than Jeremy Hunt[/QUOTE] ah blast yeah. ill edit the original post. Got carried away in my hatred for the guy

Why don't junior doctors offer Jeremy Hunt a contract where they work 1 minute of every hour, and dilute that minute with 200 litres of water, in exchange for a lot of money and the promise that no, it isn't just a placebo, honest.

[QUOTE=Duskin;49145448]Don't piss off the people that'll be saving your life one day :P[/QUOTE] Nah, our government probably all go for private healthcare.

[QUOTE=redonkulous;49145981]I'm not from the UK. What are the terms that they are protesting against?[/QUOTE] If it's similar to here, then low pay and shit hours

[QUOTE=BreenIsALie;49146535]If it's similar to here, then low pay and shit hours[/QUOTE] Meanwhile, Tube drivers (a job that requires no real skills or qualifications) earn 50-60k/year, about twice the UK average salary.

[QUOTE=redonkulous;49145981]I'm not from the UK. What are the terms that they are protesting against?[/QUOTE] Basically, Junior doctors are currently expected to do x many "sociable" (mon-fri, 0700-1900) hours, and y many unsociable hours. The government wants to broadly expand the sociable hours to include Mon-Sat 0700-2200. This would work out to a pay cut to an already broadly exploited group of doctors - Junior doctors really don't earn that much, you only get decent pay when you are in your registrar or consultant period, and even then, reg's don't really get that much. It's basically expecting junior docs to work nights but not pay them extra for the night hours. It's seen in some similar fields by some hospitals moving into new shift systems for radiographers, nurses and other AHPs, reducing the amount they earn if they work nights. I fully support the junior docs in their strike, the Tories are taking the piss. If you want quality doctors, expecting them to work any time from Mon-Sat and a fair part of the night without extra pay is the best way to lose docs. They put in 4-5 years med school, 2 years foundation and then will do 5 years plus as a registrar, and all of that they are basically pissed on by the government. And despite all that, everyone puts in so much work because they love the NHS. I love the NHS, but Cameron can fuck right off with his cuts left right and centre.

I'm surprised it hasn't come sooner, the government seems to treat the NHS as its bitch.

The tories want to kill the NHS anyway so this is probably what they want.

when some nurses are even paid higher than doctors... just wow.

[QUOTE=AK'z;49148076]when some nurses are even paid higher than doctors... just wow.[/QUOTE] nurses should be getting paid a good amount better than they do now on average, though their work nearly as groundbreaking or crucial as the doctors but without them hospitals would fuckin suck, i was in the hospital for awhile and the nurses were the best that being said doctors should be getting paid more, the uk really fucked these guys over

it is incredible that in 2015 we still don't rely on medical experts to be health secretary. professional polticians hopping from one secretary position to another, its a real shame. The same goes for Labour as well.

How does the system work in the UK? Are junior (or trainee) doctors kind of like US doctors in residency? How long does one stay a junior doctor?

[QUOTE=Bathtub;49149456]nurses should be getting paid a good amount better than they do now on average, though their work nearly as groundbreaking or crucial as the doctors but without them hospitals would fuckin suck, i was in the hospital for awhile and the nurses were the best that being said doctors should be getting paid more, the uk really fucked these guys over[/QUOTE] Absolutely no doubt about that but if you actually saw the figures, you'd be gobsmacked... And this two day walk out is actually sad. I'd have never saw this coming a year ago and yet here it is.

[QUOTE=elfbarf;49146599]Meanwhile, Tube drivers (a job that requires no real skills or qualifications) earn 50-60k/year, about twice the UK average salary.[/QUOTE] I aint saying it should be 50K, but ALL jobs inside the capital pay higher than jobs outside because the cost of living in London is far greater. It's not an argument that tube drivers should be paid less, it's that everyone across the board should be getting paid better instead of it all going to upper class wankers sitting and measure their metaphoric dicks with more money than they could ever possibly need. Anyway I'm fully behind the JDoc's, the NHS is a vital institution of this country and Cameron and his fucking asshole cronies are running it and the people working for it into the damn ground.

[QUOTE=sgman91;49149533]How does the system work in the UK? Are junior (or trainee) doctors kind of like US doctors in residency? How long does one stay a junior doctor?[/QUOTE] The way it works is you do med school (the MBBS or similar) for 4 or 5 years (5 is standard, 4 is accelerated), then do 2 foundation years (junior doctor). Then you take your specialty doctor years which vary, but is generally around 6 years, where you are known as a registrar in _____ (resident). After that you pass board exams and become a consultant. (attending) I am unsure if early registrar years still count as "junior" doctor or not though.

[QUOTE=Terminutter;49150539]The way it works is you do med school (the MBBS or similar) for 4 or 5 years (5 is standard, 4 is accelerated), then do 2 foundation years (junior doctor). Then you take your specialty doctor years which vary, but is generally around 6 years, where you are known as a registrar in _____ (resident). After that you pass board exams and become a consultant. (attending) I am unsure if early registrar years still count as "junior" doctor or not though.[/QUOTE] That is convulted as fuck.

Doctors are underpaid The amount of effort and work you have to put into just becoming a doctor, let alone being one, is immense.