Junior Doctors Set to Strike, Threatening NHS Chaos
Massive NHS Strike Kicks Off Tuesday
A major strike by junior doctors begins this Tuesday, running straight through to early Saturday. The action is set to put enormous pressure on NHS staff and services across England.
NHS England warns around 250,000 patients could be hit by delays and cancellations. But they say appointments and surgeries will only be scrapped if absolutely unavoidable. Patients whose appointments are still on are urged to attend as normal.
Strike Sparks Over 15 Years of Pay Cuts
The British Medical Association (BMA) says junior docs have suffered a brutal 25% pay cut in real terms over the last 15 years, thanks to “pay erosion.” The strike is aimed at forcing Health Secretary Steve Barclay to make a “credible” pay offer.
Government Refuses Talks Until Strike Is Cancelled
But the Department of Health is digging its heels in. They demand the strike be called off before any negotiations begin. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Barclay slammed the BMA’s demands as wildly out of step with pay rises elsewhere in the public sector.
He warned that the proposed pay hike could push some junior doctors’ incomes up more than £16,000 ($20,000) a year — a figure he branded “unreasonable.”
BMA Urges Last-Minute Negotiations
Dr Mike Greenhalgh, deputy co-chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, urged Barclay to step up with a genuine offer that could still stop the strike, even at this late stage.
