Junior Doctors Stage Protest Against Contract Changes
Junior doctors in Scotland have shown their support for colleagues south of the border by staging a demonstration opposing the UK Government's proposed contract changes.
Junior doctors in Scotland have shown their support for colleagues south of the border by staging a demonstration opposing the UK Government's proposed contract changes.
Around 500 medical staff met in Glasgow's George Square on Tuesday evening, as the British Medical Association prepares to ballot its members over potential industrial action.
The terms of the new contracts, which will be implemented by August 2016 by the Department of Health, will reclassify doctors' normal working weeks to include Saturdays and up to 10pm every night of the week except Sunday.
Medics argue they will lose out financially as evenings and Saturdays will be paid at the standard rate rather than a higher rate. They say this amounts to pay cuts of up to 30%.
The devolved governments in Scotland and Wales have confirmed they will not implement the new contracts.
Junior doctor Malcolm White, who organised and led the Glasgow protest, explained the effect the new contracts would have on his colleagues in England and his wider fears for patient safety.
Dr White said: Although these changes are not going to happen in Scotland, many of us have friends and colleagues down in England and we wish to show our solidarity in what is going to be a difficult time for them.
The contract is proposing what constitutes normal working hours for doctors so instead of working 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday, it will include a 7am until 10pm six-day week, which for us would be very difficult in terms of doctors' work-life balance and also for patients' safety.
We took an oath to protect patients and to do that we need to be well slept and have some time to rest. My fear is that if these contract changes come into force they could push doctors away from England to countries abroad, and so what is already a very under-staffed service could get much worse.
We have accepted that in a climate of austerity our wages should remain below inflation levels but to cut some doctors' wages by 15 to 30% virtually overnight is simply unfair.''
Beth Routledge, a junior doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, reiterated the belief that the new contracts would push many staff out of England and discourage the next generation from pursuing a career in medicine, and she also highlighted what she believes is stealth privatisation'' by the UK Government.
She said: This change is going to send the NHS in England back to the bad old days where there are no penalties for employers who make doctors work unsafe hours, and is going to be unsafe for patients who are going to be looked after by doctors who are tired and demoralised.
What we don't want to see is our patients being hurt by what is being imposed by the Government. At the moment (Health Secretary) Jeremy Hunt is saying that there is not a seven-day NHS, which is completely untrue because in emergencies there is a 24-hour NHS service.
This is stealth privatisation or privatisation by the back door. If I was in England I would think twice about encouraging youngsters to become a doctor. I think being a doctor is the best job in the world, but you can't do it like this.''
In a speech to the Conservative Party conference, Mr Hunt said it is utterly irresponsible'' to suggest he is trying to introduceunsafe'' longer working hours and pay cuts, and he insisted he wants to support doctors who work at weekends with properly staffed shifts'' and safe working hours.
Mr Hunt said: When we said we were committed to seven-day services in the NHS in our manifesto it wasn't just about the convenience of getting to see a GP at the weekend, important though that is.
It was to end the scandal of 11,000 excess deaths every year because of what is known as the 'weekend effect' in hospitals. We are not asking junior doctors to work longer hours, that wouldn't be safe. Nor are we seeking to cut their pay and it is utterly irresponsible for some people to try and scare people into believing we are.
What we do want to do is to support the many doctors who do work weekends with properly staffed shifts, safe working hours and seven-day diagnostic services so that patients are not put at risk.''