Nostalgia And Selective Memory Are Clouding Judgment On Doctors’ Strikes | Letters

I constitute successful consequence to Prof David Cameron (Letters, 28 July). I besides trained arsenic a expert during nan 80s and early 90s and knowledgeable nan agelong moving hours of that time. It is easy to autumn into nan trap of nostalgia and selective representation arsenic we go older and detached from nan frontline. I was looked aft by nan hospitals successful which I worked, which were little managed than they are today. I worked successful a adjacent team, led by a advisor to whom I was responsible, and who was responsible for me. I said to nary managers. I was provided accommodation, basking nutrient time and night, and different privileges.

I speak to galore young doctors successful my existent workplace and spot nan conditions successful which they work. They are isolated and harassed by managers, who are successful move harassed by a target-driven culture. Their training is politicised and diluted by nan expert adjunct programme. They cannot get basking nutrient aft 4pm aliases astatine weekends, they salary for parking, they are ripped disconnected by infirmary accommodation services and spot their salary eroded by below-inflation awards complete galore years. Small wonderment they are angry. Pay is nan quickest measurement by which they tin get immoderate redress for nan deterioration successful moving conditions which they person suffered.
Dr Robin Hollands
Consultant, Shrewsbury

As a instauration twelvemonth 1 (FY1) expert who has astir completed my first twelvemonth of aesculapian training, I person been profoundly disheartened by nan sermon astir nan resident expert strikes. The British Medical Association (BMA) has grounded to decently advocator for changes that will amended nan moving lives of doctors and nan media has unsurprisingly been intensely captious of nan BMA’s existent objectives. It was exceptionally generous for nan authorities to supply america pinch a 22% salary emergence past year, but nan BMA’s existent demands for a further 29% are wholly unrealistic and look reside deaf to nan galore different nationalist assemblage workers who person received overmuch less. It is truthful not astonishing that galore media outlets person agreed that we are “greedy”.

Despite this, I judge nan strikes are a practice of a overmuch deeper dissatisfaction pinch nan existent authorities of affairs for resident doctors and this needs to beryllium addressed. Resident doctors crossed nan state are often moving extended hours connected understaffed, dysfunctional infirmary wards, pinch now ever-diminishing prospects of profession progression. The latest BMA figures that 52% of FY2 doctors person nary unafraid employment from August is profoundly shocking and is simply a nonaccomplishment of nan strategy that whitethorn frighten nan early of nan NHS.

It is clip that some nan BMA and nan authorities woke up to nan reality that location will beryllium a terrible expert unemployment situation unless urgent action is taken. This is nan existent problem that needs to beryllium addressed. Pay restoration should perfectly stay a semipermanent goal, but location is small constituent improving my existent resident expert net if location are nary early pathways for resident doctors successful nan NHS.
Dr Will Giffin
Sheffield