Hospital doctors in England will start a 72-hour strike for higher wages on Wednesday. The last work stoppage is expected to last until Saturday. Health officials warned in advance of major disruptions to patients.
According to the British Medical Society’s (BMA) Junior Physicians Committee, doctors’ real wages have fallen by 26 percent over the past 15 years. They demand compensation that would restore the purchasing power of 2008-2009.
However, the cabinet thinks this is too expensive, because it would mean a wage increase of 35 percent for this year. The BMA said it is ready for talks, but will organize more strikes in the coming months if the government sticks to its offer of a 5 percent wage increase.
Huge impact on patients
On Tuesday, NHS medical director Stephen Powis warned that most routine healthcare could be affected by the strike. In a similar work stoppage in April, 196,000 hospital appointments and surgeries were postponed.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay called the strikes “extremely disappointing” and said the move would put patients at risk.
Scottish doctors are following suit
Doctors in training in Scotland on Tuesday rejected a “final” offer from the Scottish Government for a 14.5 per cent pay rise over two years. Strikes are planned there from 12 to 15 July.
Inflation in the UK was still 8.7 percent in April, the lowest level in more than a year.
Source: Krone
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