UK TREND : NHS Junior doctors in England vote for strikes

فريق التحرير 21 February 2023

Junior doctors in England have decided to go on strike in order to demand a 26% pay increase. A 72-hour walkout by the British Medical Association (BMA) members is now anticipated, possibly as early as mid-March. On a 77.49 percent turnout, the BMA reported that 98% of members supported the strike plans.

Nearly 45,000 juniors will participate in the walkout, which will cause havoc in A&E departments and result in the cancellation of around 200,000 appointments.

Junior doctors strikes

Both healthcare professionals and the general public have used twitter to express support for junior doctors in the wake of the strikes. The hashtags #JuniorDoctor and #BMA Doctors Vote Yes have been used by Twitter users to express their support for NHS junior doctors and to criticise the Conservative government for failing to take action to save the NHS and support its employees.

Junior doctors have voted YES to strike action in England.

This is a giant step forward for junior doctors and #PayRestoration. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard for this. Keep an eye out for next steps. #BMADoctorsVoteYes https://t.co/aqmKXZXKN6 pic.twitter.com/x4te709GO5

— Junior Doctors (@BMA_JuniorDocs) February 20, 2023

Rachel Clarke, a doctor and author, tweeted her support for junior doctors and said that the vote’s outcome demonstrates “an overwhelming mandate for action from an abused, belittled, underpaid, and desperately demoralised junior workforce.”

Wow. 98% of BMA junior doctor members (on a 77. (matchkicks.com) 5% turnout) have voted for strike action.

An overwhelming mandate for action from an abused, belittled, underpaid & desperately demoralised junior workforce.

Know you have our huge support, juniors 💪💪💪💙

— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) February 20, 2023

Activist Howard Beckett shared a comparison of the NHS starting salaries for health care workers such as nurses and junior doctors, and that of members of the conservative party. In order to demonstrate the unfair disparity that the“ Tories voted for all of this, and they are intentionally destroying the NHS”.

NHS starting salaries:

• Paramedic- £19,000
• Nurse- £24,907
• Junior Doctor- £28,808

Tory MP salary:

• Tory MP- £84,144
• Cabinet Minister- £151,649

Tories voted for all of this.

They are intentionally destroying the NHS.

Back the NHS workers please.

— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) February 20, 2023

One individual tweeted that “ an average salary for a junior doctor is £29k per year, which is pretty low considering the stress junior doctors are under due to the pressure hospitals are experiencing”.

Was looking at the average salary for a junior doctor. That's £29k per year, that's pretty low tbf, considering how much stress is involved if working in a busy hospital (which is most of them).

— Aldo P (@AldoPee69) February 20, 2023

A medical student took to twitter to express her support and her gratitude for the doctors taking part in this walkout, as she will “ a junior doctor in 5 months” and will be impacted by the results of this upcoming strike.

77% turnout and 98% yes vote – just shows how important this is !
As someone who’ll be a junior doctor in like 5 months – thank you !! #BMADoctorsVoteYes

— krishna (@krishnadmehta_) February 20, 2023

Junior doctors themselves were also tweeting about how difficult it was to this walkout; however, it was necessary. One user shared that she has been “ a junior doctor for 14 years and is still paying off her student loans”.

Mixed feelings about the junior doctor strikes. Feels sad but necessary.
I’ve been a junior doctor for 14 years and I’m still paying off my student loan.

— Sami Saba (@Dr_Mrs_Mama) February 20, 2023

Another shared that “ junior doctors are not taking part because they think it will be fun but in order to save the NHS and force the conservative party to see sense of this crisis”.

My son is a junior doctor, as is his wife. They have voted to go on strike, not because they think it will be fun, not to put people lives at risk, but to save the NHS and make the stupid Tories see sense. If it was about money they could go to Australia. I wonder why they don't

— Brian Corney (@BrianCorney1) February 20, 2023

Junior doctor Ayo shared his personal account of the challenging working conditions, saying that the staff are “overworked and unsupported.”

Annual leave as a junior doctor is already restricted to 9 days every 4months and it’s looking like I won’t even be able to take that due to the hospital being short staffed. We are overworked & unsupported and then they wonder why so many junior docs get sick/ill.

— Ayo خليل (@ayokhalil8) February 15, 2023

Other healthcare workers were all showing solidarity to their junior colleagues taking part in the strikes.