With ballots now open for strike action, the simmering dispute over NHS doctors’ pay has reignited tensions between the government and frontline medics, and the country is once again facing the prospect of disruption to patient care.
At the heart of the row is a new government pay offer: an average 5.4 per cent rise for resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, and a £750 lump sum.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has insisted it is a step on a longer “journey” to fix pay and has urged doctors not to derail progress on reducing NHS waiting lists, warning that strikes should remain a “last resort.”
But the British Medical Association says the offer falls far short. With real-terms pay down more than 20 per cent over 17 years, and record numbers of doctors leaving the profession, union leaders have insisted that the time for half-measures is over.
While Mr Streeting has admitted the NHS has treated doctors “like crap”, without real change, many have argued that such acknowledgements ring hollow.
Supporters of the strike say enough is enough: the NHS cannot be rebuilt on goodwill alone. Critics, meanwhile, fear that further walkouts risk harming patients and reversing hard-won gains on waiting lists.
As the ballot continues and strike dates loom, we want to hear from you: should doctors strike, or is the cost to patients too high? How can the NHS attract – and keep – talented staff?
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