Junior Physicians in England to Begin Five-Day Walkout in November

Medical professionals in England are preparing to stage a five-day strike in November, in protest over jobs and pay.

Walkout Information

The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that junior physicians will strike for five consecutive days from 7am on 14 November to November 19 at 7am.

Junior physicians, who make up nearly 50% of all doctors in the NHS, are proceeding with the strike after unsuccessful talks with the health department.

Causes of the Walkout

The chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee commented, “We did not want to reach this point. We have spent the last week in talks with officials, pressing the health secretary to resolve the crisis of unemployed physicians.”

“Our survey reveals 50% of second-year physicians in the UK are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst millions of patients wait endlessly for treatment and hospital shifts remain vacant. This cannot continue.”

He continued, “We talked with the government in good faith, hoping the health secretary to understand that a deal including options to gradually reverse the cuts to pay over a number of years, giving newly trained doctors a raise of only £1 per hour for the next four years.”

“We trusted the government would recognize that our asks are not just fair but are in the best interests of the community and our those we treat and would also help stop our doctors leaving the NHS.”

About Resident Doctors

Resident doctors have anywhere up to eight years’ experience practicing in hospitals, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice.

Further information are expected shortly.