Strike!

The announcement that junior doctors plan to go on strike is not suprising to me. I live with a doctor and a trainee doctor so I've been well briefed by them at every stage of this dispute as to what doctors were thinking and feeling. In fact a week ago my flatmates told me the most likely result of the strike ballot based on the talk of their doctor friends and I had no reason to doubt them at all.

This dispute is focused around two different goals in the negotiation of a new contract for junior doctors. On one hand we have the Health Secretary's goal which is to deliver a n fact he has further stated there would be pay rises for most doctors but this is a disputed claim.

I take no position on which side in this dispute is correct as it would be wrong of me to pass comment on negotiations I have not been privy to. However as I recently said on facebook I have a lot of respect for doctors, I understand they do a hard job and I know the difficulties they face however I do not support this strike for one reason and one reason only.

Patients are going to suffer.

Yet again the NHS has missed its targets in the run up to winter. Patients are being left waiting for hours at A&E and many cancer patients are left waiting months for their treatment. A strike by junior doctors will only make this situation worse and with the BMA proposing that they will hold multiple strikes including two full walkouts of junior doctors patient care, whether it be routine care or emergency care, is going to suffer.

Roger Goss, of the campaign group Patient Concern commented that: 

"This is the worst news for patients in the history of the NHS. What happened to the promise that the interests of patients are paramount and we put patients first?" and he further stated that: 

"Any honourable doctor with a genuine vocation who wants to preserve the high esteem which the medical profession currently enjoys will refuse to cause suffering inherent in a full-scale walk-out."

Even senior doctors such as Henry Marsh, even though he is opposed to the Government's plans, have come out against strikes on the grounds that even if the strike is aimed at stopping just non-urgent work it will ultimately lead to patients suffering and a loss of standing for doctors in the eyes on the public. 

I tend to agree with Mr. Marsh and said as much to my flatmates who proceeded to tell me that I was wrong and the strikes wouldn't hurt doctors reputations or patient care. I further pointed out that strikes in the UK have a historical trend of failing which is when the discussion ended and they decided it wasn't worth discussing because I "just didn't get it"...

The problem is I do get it. I believe doctors deserve gold plated x-ray machines and hospitals built to the highest standards regardless of the costs involved. After all patient care must come first and the way to improve patient care is to give doctors the tools they need to do the job. I just don't want to see doctors throw away their wonderful public reputation over what amounts to a pay dispute.

I hope both sides will realise that they are going over the edge and stop before patient care suffers but something tells me that won't be the case.