The letters pages of British broadcasts last week were inundated with the views of doctors on the strike of their junior colleagues. Most were united in their criticism of the misleading media coverage. Writing to The Guardian, Dr Michael Maier described the reporting as “sensational and inaccurate” with particular reproval reserved for the description of […]
Category: Junior doctors
Joseph O’Keeffe: The junior doctors’ strike—voices from the ward
Junior doctors are arguing that the contract changes compromise patient safety. I agree. But do those we treat? It’s hard to tell. Social media appears dominated by the junior doctors, whereas the newspapers and the broadcasters merely present a succession of politicians and “experts.” The patient’s voice seems lost amidst the acrimony between the Department […]
Duncan Steele: To strike or not to strike
To strike or not to strike, that is the question we have all asked ourselves over the last few months. To walk away from our patients, albeit to leave them in the care of some of the most qualified doctors in the world, is an incredibly difficult and tormenting decision. The contractual intricacies are complex. […]
Elizabeth Wortley: And strike I did
Yesterday I did not cross a picket line. I don’t yet know the figures for how many junior doctors did choose to work, aside from those who were unable to strike, but I would not blame anyone who chose to. I almost did. I woke up at 5am and my heart was racing with moral […]
Taryn Youngstein: “No doctor wants to strike”
Ethical dilemmas are the essences of medicine. As doctors, we frequently have to act in our patient’s best interests; when they are confused, demented, or suicidal for example. We have to act fast, and make decisions they can’t, for their own good. At medical school great lengths are taken to prepare us for these situations […]
Elizabeth Wortley: Should I strike?
I am in a moral quandary, I am in a personal quandary, and I am in a professional quandary. I cannot answer the question “Should I strike?” As a doctor, I’m very used to questioning, reviewing evidence, and coming to a conclusion. One of my favourite topics for discussion is bias and avoiding it every day. […]
Alice Gerth: Taking sides in the junior doctors’ strike
As a full walk out is planned for this week, juniors need to ensure that they have carefully considered which side of the picket line they will stand on. Full disclosure, I have not been participating in strike action and my reasons can be found in a previous blog post: Strike action is not the answer. […]
Junior doctors’ strike 26 – 27 April 2016: Live blog
This week, junior doctors in England will be undertaking a full withdrawal of labour between the hours of 8am and 5pm on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 April, as the ongoing industrial dispute between the BMA and the government shows no sign of ending peacefully. This latest action marks an escalation from previous strikes this year as […]
Alice Gerth: Junior doctors find their voice
As the strikes continue and the BMA votes to escalate action I have been searching for some of the more positive aspects of the present situation. Over the past few months a whole generation of doctors has engaged with politics and leadership. We have woken up to the fact that we have a powerful voice […]
Junior doctor strike: Angels need to eat and pay their bills
The junior doctor strike in England triggered an Oxford Union debate last month about the extent to which patient safety is compromised when public sector workers take industrial action. But will health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s revamp of pay and conditions stop at doctors? Are nurses in his sights? And if so, how likely are they […]