A three-day strike has begun across England by junior doctors who are unhappy about their low pay and high stress levels leading to burnout. With the waiting list of patients growing longer, it is feared that staff may want to leave their jobs at the National Health Service (NHS). These doctors are required to put in extra hours as most of the time the hospitals are understaffed. While they should be putting in 40 hours a week, they end up spending 60 hours on most days.
According to the British Medical Association (BMA), junior doctors have been taking a pay cut for over 15 years now. As per the Retail Price Index gauge of inflation, they have been taking home at least one-fourth pay less than they should.
Despite being qualified doctors backed by years of experience, these doctors working under senior doctors are not adequately paid.
With this disgruntled lot — which accounts for a significant portion of the medical fraternity — walking out, there is extreme pressure on the NHS, which is funded by the government.
Already, the NHS has been experiencing strikes and protests by nurses, ambulance workers and other medical staff.
However, assurance has been given by the NHS that it will ensure that emergency and critical care, as well as maternity care are not disrupted; that patients who have been waiting long for critical surgeries will be attended to on priority. However, the 72-hour strike will lead to thousands of appointments and procedures being cancelled.
