Salisbury doctors say they feel underappreciated
A picket line was held outside Salisbury District Hospital
A group of Salisbury junior doctors went on strike today and held a picket line outside Salisbury District Hospital.
British Medical Association members are unhappy at the effective 26% pay cut they have faced since 2008.
Greatest Hits Radio spoke to Junior Surgeon Raiyyan Aftab on the picket line today (13 March):
“We all worked through the pandemic, we worked in, frankly, dangerous conditions without the right protective equipment and for the government to turn around and say ‘actually you’re going to get a pay cut on top of that’ is a punch in gut.
“We feel entirely unappreciated which is completely the opposite to the general feelings of positivity towards the NHS during Covid.”
Mr Aftab said that the main aims for the strike were pay, but also retention of staff and to improve the working conditions within the NHS.
Junior doctors have seen an effective pay cut of 26% since 2008.
Aftab also told us that Government ministers had only met with the BMA once, telling them that they did not have the mandate to provide a rise in pay, adding a “frank” conversation was needed before anything could realistically be achieved.