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Tens of thousands of UK junior doctors to strike in bitter pay dispute

NHS

Tens of thousands of junior doctors to walk off the job starting today as part of a bitter pay dispute

Junior doctors have begun a four-day strike over pay with an NHS boss saying up to 350,000 appointments, including procedures, could be cancelled.

As many as 47,600 junior doctors could take part in the walkouts as part of an ongoing row over pay that could have a massive impact on the NHS.

The strikes come as the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government continue to standoff over pay.

Read More: Teachers, junior doctors and Tube staff hold strikes on Budget day

The BMA claims that junior doctors in England have received a 26 percent real-terms wage decrease since 2008/09 because pay increases have been below inflation.

The union has requested a complete pay restoration, which the government claims would be equivalent to a 35 percent wage increase, which ministers say is unaffordable.

Junior doctors will picket outside hospitals from 7 a.m. till Saturday morning in the longest walkout since nurses, ambulance crews, and other health workers began protesting in 2022.

Read More: More NHS strikes as thousands of junior doctors walkout over pay

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, has told Sky News he expects "up to 350,000 appointments" to be cancelled as a result of the four-day action.

NHS managers have warned that due to the strike, patient care will be "on a knife edge" for the next four days.

The BMA has released an advertisement that depicts how much doctors with 10, seven, and one year of experience would make for doing an appendix removal operation.

Read More: Thousands of UK junior doctors to start voting Monday on strike action

According to the advertisement, they would get £28, £24.46, and £14.09, for a total of £66.55 for potentially life-saving surgery.

Dr. Jennifer Barclay, a surgical doctor in the North West, said: "I'll be working a busy on-call shift; treating unwell patients, assessing new patients, consenting and preparing patients for surgery and answering never-ending bleeps when we have to run to the theatre.

"I haven't had time to eat or nip to the loo and I know I'll be in the theatre for around an hour. An appendicectomy like the one in this advert would be a typical case.

Read More: Heathrow Airport security staff to hold 10-day strike over Easter

"I want the doctors treating my loved ones to be well rested and able to provide the best care possible.

"I don't want them to be burnt out, worried about paying the bills or up to £100,000 of debt or thinking about alternative careers whilst making life and death decisions.

"My dad, an electrician, tells me to quit and retrain in his footsteps; I'd be earning more, have less stress, less responsibility, better hours and a better work-life balance after three years."

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Dr. Robert Laurenson and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs, said: "It is appalling that this government feels that paying three junior doctors as little as £66.55 between them for work of this value, is justified.

"This is highly skilled work requiring years of study and intensive training in a high-pressure environment where the job can be a matter of life and death."

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: "It is extremely disappointing the BMA has called strike action for four consecutive days.

Read More: UK anti-strike bill moves one step closer to law as teachers and nurses confirm more action

"Not only will the walkouts risk patient safety, but they have also been timed to maximise disruption after the Easter break.

"I hoped to begin formal pay negotiations with the BMA last month but its demand for a 35 percent pay rise is unreasonable - it would result in some junior doctors receiving a pay rise of over £20,000.

"If the BMA is willing to move significantly from this position and cancel strikes we can resume confidential talks and find a way forward, as we have done with other unions."

Read More: Teachers’ unions could be next to announce strikes

Mr. Barclay also said people should attend appointments unless told otherwise by the NHS. He added they should also call 999 in a life-threatening emergency and use NHS 111 online services for non-urgent health needs.

Meanwhile, Mr. Taylor told Sky News: "These strikes are going to have a catastrophic impact on the capacity of the NHS to recover.

"The health service has to meet high levels of demand at the same time as making inroads into that huge backlog... That's a tough thing to do at the best of times - it's impossible to do when strikes are continuing."

Read More: UK Health Secretary considers backdating NHS pay offer to stop more strikes

Asked whether everyone who needs urgent care this week will get it, he said: "We hope so.

"There's no point hiding the fact that there will be risks to patients, risks to patient safety, risks to patient dignity, as we're not able to provide the kind of care that we want to."

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: "The junior doctors' strike this week will cause huge disruption to patient care.

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"Where is the Prime Minister and why hasn't he tried to stop it?

"Rishi Sunak says he 'wouldn't want to get in the middle of' NHS pay disputes.

"Patients are crying out for leadership, but instead they are getting weakness."

SourceSky News

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