From 8am until 12.30pm the 36 doctors – joined also by a few members of the public – made their opposition felt to government plans to impose a new contract many feel would be unfair and lead to “unsafe” working conditions.
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“Everybody has been really supportive”, the Worcestershire Health and Care Trust worker said.
More industrial action is planned for Tuesday January 26 when junior doctors will again only provide emergency care, and if an agreement is not reached by Wednesday February 10 junior doctors plan to withhold all labour, including emergency care for nine hours.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has put into operation an emergency care only model at the hospital – similar to a Christmas Day service – as 43 junior doctors across Worcestershire Royal Hospital, as well as the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital, take part in the national walk-out.
“This could begin as early as the summer for new doctors joining the NHS and would then be rolled out among the existing 50,000 junior doctors”, our correspondent said.
He added: “We have been clear throughout this process that we want to negotiate a contract that is safe and fair, and delivers for junior doctors, patients and the NHS as whole”. Fewer people are also applying for medical school, presumably because they have heard the rumours that junior doctors in England are getting a raw deal. “We want all NHS patients to have the confidence that they will get the same high-quality care every day of the week”.
The Junior Doctors strike is their first walkout in 40 years.
But if it was just about the money alone, we wouldn’t have had a 98% turn out in favour of the strike.
The NHS has so far postponed 4,000 routine treatments – about one in 10 planned – including knee and hip ops. The BMA is concerned about pay for weekend working, career progression and safeguards to protect doctors from being overworked.
Pictures have emerged of doctors in Gaza supporting British junior doctors in their battle against the Government’s efforts to introduce a new contract.
The Leeds junior doctor protest.
“This strike is not necessary, it will be damaging”, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday.
Take our readers’ poll and tell us whether you support the strike action.
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“I’m married to another doctor – and it would force bi-medical families like ours into making decisions about staying in medicine because of the hours; particularly the numbers of weekends we will have to work”.
