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by Shivani Sharma December 26, 2018 5 min read
Here to give you expert interview preparation, this is your NHS hot topics post to the junior doctor contract and strike.
The government and the British Medical Association (BMA) agreed that a new contract for junior doctors was needed and was negotiating since 2012. However, they had several differences in views over what changes need to be implemented. The BMA is the trade union for doctors in the UK and is seen as the guardians of safe working conditions. They represent doctors both as individuals or as a group to bring forward their views and thoughts on lots on a range of issues.
In the beginning, the overwhelming majority of the public supported the junior doctor strike action. From before the onset of the National health service, medical professionals had always been well respected and trusted by the general public. In fact, throughout the protests, the majority of the public supported the junior doctors. However, when the strikes included the A&E departments, then there was a steep decrease in support by the public, accompanied by an increase in criticism against the strikes.
The public felt that doctors were not caring for patients who had life-threatening medical conditions. This goes against ethical principles that doctors have sworn to uphold. This round of strikes damaged the trust the public had developed in the medical profession. Furthermore, over 13,000 elective procedures and over 200,000 hospital outpatient appointments were cancelled due to the strikes. Although these are not emergencies, it caused inconvenience and disruption for patients, who had been put on long waiting lists to see specialist doctors.
The imposition of the contract on junior doctors had a huge impact on the medical profession. It left most junior doctors feeling demoralised, devalued, attacked by the government. It also drove more junior doctors out of the NHS. Currently, one in two foundation doctors is choosing not to apply for further training in this country. And a poll for the Independent during the strikes showed that nine in ten junior doctors were considering walking away from the NHS because of the threat of imposition. Most doctors believed that imposing the contract was unjust and unethical. An anaesthetic trainee said “it is not right to impose a contract on a workforce who give up their entire lives and pour blood, sweat and tears into their jobs. And after all that, they have no choice but to work under the conditions of the NHS”
In September 2018, the junior doctor committee, chaired by Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, had reached an agreement with NHS employers to conduct a full review of the 2016 contract. This is because the BMA and its members were still not happy with the terms and conditions. The research outcomes from the review will be used to improve the imposed contract. These will form the basis for formal negotiations in 2019, which will hopefully lead to meaningful changes that both sides agree and finally end this long-running dispute.
We hope that this was a helpful overview of this NHS issue and you feel more confident tackling it if it comes up as a question. Don't hesitate to send us any questions or comments by email at hello@theMSAG.com. Good luck in your interview!
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