LETTER: Doctor pay does not seem fair
MPs earn, with no formal training, £86,584, per annum plus expenses for office costs, London living and so on. It is a strange quirk that our country is in fact governed by amateurs although many are hard working and conscientious like our own MP (now very experienced).
Junior doctors undertake at least five years training at largely their own expense, followed by more training, and their pay starts at around £29,000 per annum. Yet they have huge responsibilities - our lives are often in their hands. Is this fair?
I think not, especially with the cost of housing. The way to fund better pay for them and the NHS is to make older people carry on paying National Insurance (means tested to protect the poor) and modest amounts for prescriptions.
After all we continue to pay to insure our houses and our cars - so why not ourselves? I wonder how many MPs we would get if they were paid £29,000 to start with?
Thelma Thompson, Church Stretton
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