In England, doctors are planning to go on strike leading up to the Christmas season. Resident doctors, previously referred to as junior doctors, will commence the strike from 7am on December 17 until December 22, following a previous five-day walkout. The British Medical Association (BMA) has cited the government’s failure to present a satisfactory proposal on jobs and pay as the reason for the strikes, highlighting a recent surge in job shortages.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, expressed concerns about the lack of a viable plan from the government to address the job crisis and proposed pay cuts. He emphasized that while the strikes are imminent, they could be averted by implementing gradual pay increases over a few years and making sensible adjustments to enhance job security for doctors, ensuring the healthcare workforce’s resilience and preventing doctor unemployment amidst patient demand for medical services.
The ongoing job crisis has been exemplified by the unrealistic experience requirements demanded from second-year doctors seeking training positions, leading to discontent among doctors and motivating them to take to the picket line. Resident doctors, constituting almost half of the medical workforce, encompass a spectrum of experience levels from recent graduates to those with approximately ten years in the field. During the strike period, resident doctors will refrain from providing emergency and routine care, with senior doctors standing in to cover the services.
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