Resident Physicians in England to Launch Five Consecutive Day Walkout in November

Doctors in the UK are set to begin a five consecutive day walkout next month, in protest over jobs and pay.

Walkout Information

The BMA stated that junior physicians will walk out for five days in a row from November 14 at 7am to 7am on 19 November.

Junior physicians, who make up about half of all doctors in the National Health Service, are taking this action after unsuccessful talks with the health department.

Causes of the Walkout

Dr Jack Fletcher commented, “This is not where we wanted to be. We have been negotiating for the past week with government, urging the health secretary to end the scandal of doctors going unemployed.”

“We know from our own survey half of second-year doctors in England are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst millions of patients endure long waits for care and shifts in hospitals remain vacant. This is a situation which cannot go on.”

He continued, “We talked with the government in good faith, keen for the minister to understand that a deal including options to gradually reverse the cuts to pay over a number of years, providing recent graduates a pay increase of only £1 per hour for the next four years.”

“We trusted the government would recognize that our asks are not just fair but are in the interest of the community and our those we treat and would also help stop our physicians leaving the health service.”

Who Are Resident Physicians?

Junior physicians have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, based on their field, or up to three years in primary care.

Further information are expected shortly.