Medical conflict escalates in England – specialists strike

The strike will affect elective care and lengthen waiting lists, but the government did not listen to our demands. What choice do we have but to strike? The doctor says further.

A hepatologist and gastroenterologist in the South East of England is very disappointed with the outcome of the BMA vote. The doctor told the Guardian that beating for money sends the wrong signals.

– We are at a time when many are struggling with the difficult cost of living, and inflation is high. By demanding higher wages, we can enable the government to give doctors a “good pay” for being greedy, says the doctor.

“The important issues are in fact the lack of regular investment in the NHS, the lack of capacity, the high and increasing demands, the pressure and the feeling of not being able to control one’s own destiny,” continues the doctor, who has suspended his membership in the BMA.

One pulmonary medicine specialist says this about the strike:

– I voted not to strike just because of years of “wage erosion”, but because we as a profession have been undervalued for too long. All the doctors I know are forced to work unpaid overtime, trying to catch up on holidays and weekends. Although I am a realistic person about what we can achieve, by not striking we would have sent the message that what is happening to the NHS and those who work there is OK, says the doctor.

– I understand the government doesn’t want it to look like it’s giving up on a high-paying profession, but it’s important the message gets across: we’re not content with our roles, with safety within the NHS, how we’re expected to work or how we’ve been treated during and after the pandemic.

The strike within the NHS lasted for eight months. In early July, the conflict in Scotland was suspended. Then the BMA and the Scottish government reached an agreement for junior doctors that provided a pay increase of 12.4 percent.