Andy Gibson, a newly qualified doctor, who was at Warwick Hospital today said: “It’s worth saying that we’ve not been on strike for 40 years, but this is such a big issue for us that we’ve had to take this action”.
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He said: “The right thing to do is to sit round the table and talk to the Government about how we improve patient safety and patient care, not these very unnecessary strikes”.
BMA leader Dr Mark Porter said: “We sincerely regret the disruption that industrial action will cause, but junior doctors have been left with no option”.
Some 50,000 junior doctors – who represent a third of the medical workforce – are on strike for 24 hours amid government plans to change pay and work schedules.
A total of 37,000 of 45,000 junior doctors in England took part in a vote in November a year ago and 98 percent of them voted for industrial action.
Olivia Davies, a junior doctor at DCH said that the support had been impressive.
Hospitals across England are providing emergency care only after thousands of junior doctors went on strike – and are urging all but those in desperate need of medical care to stay away.
Since qualifying, they will usually be working in a hospital, while undertaking post-graduate training for a more senior role such as a consultant or a GP.
Pictures have emerged of doctors in Gaza supporting British junior doctors in their battle against the Government’s efforts to introduce a new contract.
JUNIOR doctors have been hitting the picket lines in protest at government plans to change their pay and conditions.
British Medical Association (BMA) local negotiating committee member Dr Niki Fitzgerald said: “We didn’t want to get to this point”.
There will also be a 48-hour strike, which will also not involve doctors on emergency cover, from 8am on Tuesday, January 26.
THE Royal United Hospital in Bath is warning people to expect longer waiting times today as thousands of junior doctors across the UK walk out on strike. Our advice at the moment is that patients should attend their appointment if they have one.
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“This has only been made worse by yesterday’s last minute, inept and heavy-handed attempts to bully junior doctors lawfully taking industrial action back into work”.
