UK: Doctors Strike to Reduce Patient Services for Next 3 Weeks

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Facts

  • On Wednesday, UK National Health Service (NHS) junior doctors will begin their longest strike to date when they walk off the job to join the picket lines. The planned walkout will see only four weekdays over the next three weeks unaffected by the action.1
  • According to the British Medical Association (BMA), tens of thousands of junior doctors are expected to be off the job from Wednesday through Saturday and then again from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9.2
  • In response to reduced operations, health officials have announced that consultants will backfill for the junior doctors to prioritize and provide urgent care. Over the past year, medical professionals on strike have seen the NHS reschedule 1.1M appointments.1
  • The junior doctors have expressed dismay that the government hasn't been willing to offer a credible increase in pay. While the doctors have requested a 35% increase in pay, the government has offered 6% in response.2
  • Meanwhile, on Jan. 15, more than 3K Welsh doctors will follow suit and walk off the job in protest for increased wages. The Welsh government has said it's impossible to meet the doctor's demands without additional funding from the UK government.3

Sources: 1The telegraph, 2Guardian and 3BBC News.

Narratives

  • Right narrative, as provided by The telegraph. The demands of the union for junior doctors are unrealistic and unreasonable. The request for a 35% increase in wages is out of touch with similar salaries in the private sector and certainly unaffordable for the government. These strikes go beyond reason and only serve to punish millions of patients who are unable to receive critical and life-saving care.
  • Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. The medical professionals going on strike are doing so as a last resort. Although unfortunate, they can't stand up for what is right without decreasing the level and availability of care to patients. While the strike is dire, the patients are already at risk when being seen by staff who are overworked and underpaid. It's prudent that the needs of the NHS' weary staff be met expeditiously.