Jeremy Hunt-v-Junior Doctors.

[drew]

This doctor is yet another force feeding the lie to the public that this dispute is not about money but saving the NHS. He states his case about working long hours and working in a highly pressurised environment which are all fair points, and then bangs on about going onto the picket line to save the NHS. Fighting for your working conditions is fine, but telling me that you are doing it on my behalf is disengenuous to say the least.

He also mentions that he is paid £18 per hour for a 48 hour week, but often works a 60 hour week, long hours without doubt but many others work the same for less. That hourly rate actually works out at £864 per week, or £45k per year. Comfortable money for most, brilliant money for the average 27 year old. This doctor also has the opportunity to earn far, far more over the coming years as his experience and pay grade rises, up to what £70k, £85k or £100k+?

By all means fight for your rights, but stop lieing to the public please that it is on their behalf.

There may well be other people working 60 hours a week but how many of them are making life or death decisions. As for reasons, the vast majority of people that I know that work in the NHS, both doctors and nurses, enter and remain in the service mainly for vocational reasons rather than financial. Maybe your experience of people you know is different or maybe you can't see beyond the £ signs in anything.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I was going to say I think he might have picked the wrong fight. You have put it a whole lot better.

My younger daughter is a junior doctor. She is in no way a political animal, but she is furious.

Totally this.

I'm a Conservative voter but listening to my girlfriend who is a nurse has really made me appreciate how much stress junior doctors are under. None of them want to strike and it really sends the wrong signal for Hunt to behave like this.

Perhaps if Mr Osborne gave a bit more money to the NHS it would be less of a problem. Dreadful stuff by the Tories.

 

[vegster]

Car crash interview with Ken Clarke on radio 5 today. Banging on about how militant the BMA are and in the next breath mentioning the last doctors strike was 40 years ago!!! Then banging on about the junior doctors demanding more money when they aren't!!! Conservative PR machine should have picked someone a bit younger and with a little more understanding!!!

I heard that interview too,Clarke was hilariously dismissive of the doctors having any idea of the situation. He was almost claiming that they are just being deliberately obstructive to common sense restructuring and that they don't understand the issues. This from someone who most likely will have extensive private health care.
Maybe he should be strapped to a trolley and left in a hospital corridor for a day so he can better understand the issues.

 

[W.C.]

This doctor is yet another force feeding the lie to the public that this dispute is not about money but saving the NHS. He states his case about working long hours and working in a highly pressurised environment which are all fair points, and then bangs on about going onto the picket line to save the NHS. Fighting for your working conditions is fine, but telling me that you are doing it on my behalf is disengenuous to say the least.

He also mentions that he is paid £18 per hour for a 48 hour week, but often works a 60 hour week, long hours without doubt but many others work the same for less. That hourly rate actually works out at £864 per week, or £45k per year. Comfortable money for most, brilliant money for the average 27 year old. This doctor also has the opportunity to earn far, far more over the coming years as his experience and pay grade rises, up to what £70k, £85k or £100k+?

By all means fight for your rights, but stop lieing to the public please that it is on their behalf.

This member of the public is glad they are fighting on my behalf thanks. Certainly don't think of them as liars either. Ridiculous.

 

[Bladders]

Not that simple when you understand the full detail. The doctors are accepting a lower loading for unsocial hours than what they currently get. Hunt wants to take them to the cleaners removing it entirely.

Funny you mention cleaners, they work unsociable hours for minimum wage.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

The general public will only support the Junior Doctors for so long. Also the issue like everything else focuses on money, if we all want to keep our NHS free in the future then may be we all need to start paying a bit more for using it. I know people might not like that idea but that is the reality of the situation here. The NHS is being used more than ever these days. Would be happy to put in £10.00 a month if I knew it was going to fund the NHS directly, the wastage stopped, and we stopped giving away our services to people who have no legal rights to use it in the first place.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This doctor is yet another force feeding the lie to the public that this dispute is not about money but saving the NHS. He states his case about working long hours and working in a highly pressurised environment which are all fair points, and then bangs on about going onto the picket line to save the NHS. Fighting for your working conditions is fine, but telling me that you are doing it on my behalf is disengenuous to say the least.

He also mentions that he is paid £18 per hour for a 48 hour week, but often works a 60 hour week, long hours without doubt but many others work the same for less. That hourly rate actually works out at £864 per week, or £45k per year. Comfortable money for most, brilliant money for the average 27 year old. This doctor also has the opportunity to earn far, far more over the coming years as his experience and pay grade rises, up to what £70k, £85k or £100k+?

By all means fight for your rights, but stop lieing to the public please that it is on their behalf.

Lying to the public. That's some statement.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

This member of the public is glad they are fighting on my behalf thanks. Certainly don't think of them as liars either. Ridiculous.

Indeed. I'm all for a proper 7 day NHS and I mean EVERY element of it running every day but it shouldn't be done on the cheap.

 

[gregbrighton]

There may well be other people working 60 hours a week but how many of them are making life or death decisions. As for reasons, the vast majority of people that I know that work in the NHS, both doctors and nurses, enter and remain in the service mainly for vocational reasons rather than financial. Maybe your experience of people you know is different or maybe you can't see beyond the £ signs in anything.

More likely, he can't get his head out of David Cameron's arse...

I've got wellquickwoody on ignore anyway, so I don't have to read his rubbish.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The general public will only support the Junior Doctors for so long.

I'll support them to the end.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Indeed. I'm all for a proper 7 day NHS and I mean EVERY element of it running every day but it shouldn't be done on the cheap.

i have to admit I'm not overly bothered about a 7 day NHS.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Not sure I would be fleeing anywhere with a 13.5% basic pay rise.

13.5% of shit, is still shit.

 

[drew]

Funny you mention cleaners, they work unsociable hours for minimum wage.

True, but did they have to undergo 7 years of training to get to that position and do they work 60 hour weeks etc. They do an important job but you can hardly compare the two.

 

[gregbrighton]

True, but did they have to undergo 7 years of training to get to that position and do they work 60 hour weeks etc. They do an important job but you can hardly compare the two.

No, exactly. It's a pathetic argument.

 

[drew]

The general public will only support the Junior Doctors for so long. Also the issue like everything else focuses on money, if we all want to keep our NHS free in the future then may be we all need to start paying a bit more for using it. I know people might not like that idea but that is the reality of the situation here. The NHS is being used more than ever these days. Would be happy to put in £10.00 a month if I knew it was going to fund the NHS directly, the wastage stopped, and we stopped giving away our services to people who have no legal rights to use it in the first place.

Whilst I agree with your last comment, as a nation we pay a lot less than most for our healthcare service as a percentage of GDP.

 

[drew]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35557135


Oops.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I'll support them to the end.

How does the health care system work in Germany out of interest? Do Germans contribute a more of less to the health care system?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

i have to admit I'm not overly bothered about a 7 day NHS.

I am. My late Grandmother was taken to hospital when she had cancer. Admitted on a weekday. They decided she could be discharged on a Saturday. Problem being there were no dispensing pharmacy services running at the weekend so she couldn't take her prescribed cancer drugs with her. Instead, this ill 82 year old had to return on the Monday to pick them up ( well that's what they expected her to do but instead my Dad went ).

You can get a drink 7 days a week, get a meal 7 days a week, go to the cinema 7 days a week, go shopping 7 days a week but health services, no, other than emergencies make sure you're ill during the week rather than at the weekend. It's nothing short of pathetic.

 

[Bladders]

True, but did they have to undergo 7 years of training to get to that position and do they work 60 hour weeks etc. They do an important job but you can hardly compare the two.

Why does years of training excuse anyone from working unsociable hours?

I'm sure many cleaners work a ridiculous amount of hours just to make enough money to bay basic bills.

 

[heathgate]

This doctor is yet another force feeding the lie to the public that this dispute is not about money but saving the NHS. He states his case about working long hours and working in a highly pressurised environment which are all fair points, and then bangs on about going onto the picket line to save the NHS. Fighting for your working conditions is fine, but telling me that you are doing it on my behalf is disengenuous to say the least.

He also mentions that he is paid £18 per hour for a 48 hour week, but often works a 60 hour week, long hours without doubt but many others work the same for less. That hourly rate actually works out at £864 per week, or £45k per year. Comfortable money for most, brilliant money for the average 27 year old. This doctor also has the opportunity to earn far, far more over the coming years as his experience and pay grade rises, up to what £70k, £85k or £100k+?

By all means fight for your rights, but stop lieing to the public please that it is on their behalf.

Well said.