Next week's junior doctors' strike off

[Northerner]

The British Medical Association has called off the junior doctors' strike due to take place in England next week amid concerns about patient safety.

The BMA said it was not backing down in the fight over a new contract.

It said strikes in October, November and December would go ahead unless the government negotiates a new deal.

Medical leaders and hospital managers had warned the short notice - the walkout was only announced last week - meant care would be put at risk.

And the General Medical Council had urged doctors to re-consider the stoppage, warning they could face regulatory action because the timing and length of the walkout would mean care was inevitably compromised.

The BMA said the decision was made after a meeting with officials from NHS England.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-37279712

 

[Diabeticliberty]

That little toady Namespeltincorrectly will see this as a sign of weakness and try to steamroller the contract through. As reluctant as I would be if I were a junior doctor to see patients suffer they have no other real choice if they are going to win this than continue with their action. I have heard members of the public starting to turn against them. The thing is though the dispute is not a popularity contest. The doctors cannot afford and we cannot afford to have the doctors lose in this dispute.

 

[Northerner]

That little toady Namespeltincorrectly will see this as a sign of weakness and try to steamroller the contract through. As reluctant as I would be if I were a junior doctor to see patients suffer they have no other real choice if they are going to win this than continue with their action. I have heard members of the public starting to turn against them. The thing is though the dispute is not a popularity contest. The doctors cannot afford and we cannot afford to have the doctors lose in this dispute.

I was thinking just the other day that it might be a smart move for the junior doctors to call off at least this first strike, due to the concerns about the lack of notice given (although still greater than legally required). Shows they listen to concerns. I do wish that the government were pressed more about why they won't give detailed costings for how they can achieve a 7-day service from a 5-day overstretched and under-resourced service - if they could prove to me that they can do it then even I would vote for them. They won't because it isn't possible, even if the doctors all signed the contract tomorrow.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

All the crap about patients being at greater risk of death at weekends is pure unadulterated hogwash. Namespeltincorrectly has apparently been warned off about it but chooses to merrily spout the pure unadulterated bullshit regardless. The doctors have laid it on the line how they are having extreme difficulty providing a 5 day service with the extremely limited resources at their disposal. Places left blank on duty rosters meaning doctors are having to work loads of extra hours tagged onto the end of their standard shift making them absolutely cream crackered and at risk of making blunders because they are exhausted. God this thing makes my blood boil 😡

 

[mikeyB]

Of course it's possible to do this. It just needs more money.

 

[Northerner]

Of course it's possible to do this. It just needs more money.

And it would probably help if you weren't destroying the morale of your workforce, driving them away and even reducing the likelihood that people will even sign up for medical courses in the first place Oh, and refusing to guarantee the status of EU NHS workers