Junior Doctors Protest in Leeds Against Planned Changes to Contracts

It was one month ago that the government announced that they would be imposing changes to the current working contract for junior doctors across Leeds and the rest of the UK.

Since then there has been uproar from all medical professionals throughout the country which has now led to protests being held in cities like the one in Leeds last night.

The new contract would mean that standard working hours will change to 7am-10pm Monday to Saturday compared with the current 7am-7pm Monday to Friday,

The safeguarding law to prevent doctors working excessive hours will also be lifted which could potentially put patients at risk.

A recent poll revealed that one in four doctors will not stay in their current post if the contact is approved where many are considering going to work abroad.

With most junior doctors coming out of Medical school with a huge amount of debt and with the new contract suggesting that they could face a pay cut of up to 30 percent, many are worried about the future that they face.

Junior Doctors and medical students from across the city gathered in Victoria Gardens in the latest series of demonstrations against these plans.

Jaimie is a Junior Doctor in Leeds and told Radio Aire why they are protesting, "We don't think that it is right, we don't think that it is fair and we don't think that it is safe. This has been going on for quite a while and it has taken us coming to the streets to make people realise what's happening."

"I'm on a ten day shift at the moment, I do nights, I do weekends and why would you work in a coiuntry that treats you so badly when there's other places in the World that treat you better."

Sarah is also a junior doctor based in Leeds and she will stay in this country even if the contract does go ahead, "I will stay in the UK because I believe very strongly in the NHS and I want to see it survive but I don't blame people for leaving."

"Financially it will make life difficult, socially it will make life difficult, I think that I will be more susceptible to be burnt out and I think that the workload will increase on people."

The Health Secretary has now offered a concession to junior doctors - pledging that no one working less than 56 hours a week will lose money under the deal. The British Medical Association is balloting for industrial action but they have said that this offer could be a step in the right direction.

The changes are due to take effect next year.