Junior doctors campaign


Anger at sacrifices thrown back in our faces

As we go to press nearly 90,000 people have signed an online petition supporting industrial action by the British Medical Association, which is balloting junior doctors over changes to their contracts. Lively local protests have taken place and the junior doctors formed an impressive block on the 4 October anti-austerity demonstration in Manchester.

Below is an edited version of a Facebook post from one doctor which ‘went viral’.

I am a 35 year old surgeon in training. It is ten years since I graduated with two degrees after spending six years at university.

I have never taken a day off sick. I worked every day as normal throughout two pregnancies without ever reducing hours (a minimum of 60 hours a week).

Unfair

I returned to work full time between my two children to be allocated a hospital two hours’ drive from my house. I left my baby at 6am every day and got home at 8pm, except once a week when I did 24 hours on call.

I attended training courses on maternity leave as it was easier than taking study leave from work when rotas are so difficult to cover. I am currently spending my second maternity leave studying for compulsory self-funded £2,000 exams.

This week I am teaching on a course in Surrey training junior doctors (unpaid) while staying with my parents to save on childcare costs. I won’t see my husband all week because he is teaching on a similar course in Harrogate (also unpaid).

Protest

Other maternity leave activities have so far included interviewing prospective medical students (unpaid) and being an examiner for medical student finals (unpaid).

This is what the job involves and we accept that. We are not complaining about the efforts we have made.

We are not asking for a pay rise. I understand we are well paid (albeit much less than doctors in many other countries). We care about the NHS and understand it is under-resourced and we regularly provide unpaid service on the basis of goodwill alone.

Tories

But for the government to tell us that what we are worth is a compulsory increase in hours alongside a 30-40% pay cut?

To know that next year many of us will be working more hours in the same jobs, unable to see our families, yet unable to pay the mortgages on the family homes that we have carefully budgeted for?

To know that the new contract will undo progress for women in medicine by penalising me financially if I choose to have another child?

Now, for the first time, I am very, very angry. #ImInWorkJeremy