Junior doctor says they have 'no choice' but to strike to protect patients
Juniors doctors have no choice but to strike in an effort to prevent the NHS 'hemorrhaging' staff, according to one doctor.
Today marked the first in three days of strike action from the British Medical Association's (BMA) junior doctors – to be followed by an unprecedented six consecutive days in the New Year.
The action has affected Shropshire's hospitals, with health bosses warning of disruption for county patients throughout the strike.
Junior doctors from across the West Midlands joined a picket at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on Wedmesday).
Dr Marie Tolan, communications officer for the West Midlands Regional Junior Doctors Committee, said doctors feel 'demoralised' and 'under valued'.
She said the focus of the dispute was to raise the hourly wage for a starting junior doctor to £20 – an increase of £5.
She said that junior doctors receiving the wage had already studied for five years at university, and 'are the first ones you see in A&E', adding that they help in emergencies around the hospital 'making life-saving and changing' decisions, including being the first response to cardiac arrests.
Dr Tolan, 25, who is currently working at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, said she had seen colleagues she had trained with leaving the NHS to work in Australia and other countries - with no intention of returning - because of conditions in England.
She said: "Unfortunately the NHS is haemorrhaging doctors because of poor pay and conditions and this is having a detrimental impact on patient care.
"We are seeing sick patients on trolleys in corridors, in the back of ambulances. They are not receiving time-critical care."
Dr Tolan said she believed that a £5 increase would "significantly improve" retention of doctors, with 4,000 leaving the NHS last year.
She said: "A number of colleagues I went to university with went to Australia and have no plans of coming back because they are paid appropriately, they feel valued, so why would they come back to the system we have?"
Dr Tolan said they felt that the public supported the action – and added that junior doctors would return to work in the event of a major incident where their help was required.
She said the current system sees their work covered by senior consultants while they strike.
"We feel we unfortunately have no choice but to escalate because the government are not listening to us," she said.
"We don't feel that this is a risk to patients, as when junior doctors are on strike our consultant colleagues cover for us."
She added: "I have only had support on our picket.
"Patients and relatives are kind of cheering us on. They're supportive and understand we don't want to this this but we feel we need to do this for the continuation of our profession and for long-term patient safety."
Dr Tolan said there would need to be evidence of a commitment from the Government to meet the demands before the issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, the action will mean that some patients will not be sent home from hospital in time to spend Christmas with their loved ones, according to the Health Secretary.
Victoria Atkins echoed concerns from leading health and patient organisations, who warned patients could be left "stranded" in wards over Christmas due to the industrial action.
Ms Atkins said she wanted to reach a "fair and reasonable" settlement with doctors in training – who began their 72-hour strike at 7am on Wednesday.
She said she wanted to address doctors' concerns, but added: "I cannot do that if they're on the picket line, rather than in hospitals looking after patients.
"We also must look at what this means for other healthcare professionals and, of course, patients themselves.
"So, this Christmas, we know that these strikes if they continue today, tomorrow and on Friday, it will mean that people will stay in hospital longer than if the strikes had not happened because hospitals will not be able to discharge them.
"So, there will be people spending Christmas in hospital rather than at home. That is an enormous cost for individuals and for their families.
"But also for other members of the healthcare service because junior doctors, the (junior doctors') committee, appear to expect consultants and others to pick up their work for them.
"And I'm very conscious it's been a tough year for all our clinicians. I want them to be able to enjoy their Christmas and enjoy their rest as much as we all want to but they're going to be picking up the slack for these doctors that are on strike."
