Medical professionals in the UK are set to begin a five consecutive day walkout next month, in protest over pay and employment.
The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that junior physicians will walk out for five days in a row from November 14 at 7am to 7am on 19 November.
Junior physicians, who constitute about half of all doctors in the National Health Service, are proceeding with the strike after failed negotiations with the health department.
The chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee stated, “We did not want to reach this point. We have spent the last week in talks with government, pressing the health secretary to end the scandal of doctors going unemployed.”
“Our survey reveals 50% of second-year physicians in England are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst countless individuals endure long waits for care and shifts in hospitals remain vacant. This cannot continue.”
He added, “We negotiated sincerely, keen for the health secretary to see that a agreement offering solutions to slowly restore the pay reductions over a number of years, giving recent graduates a raise of just a pound an hour for the coming four years.”
“We trusted the authorities would see that our asks are not just fair but are in the interest of the public and our those we treat and would also help stop our physicians departing from the NHS.”
Resident doctors have as much as eight years of experience working as a hospital doctor, based on their field, or up to three years in general practice.
Further information are expected soon.
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