BMA Maintains Stance on Christmas Walkouts Following Unequivocal Rejection of Shadow Health Secretary’s Overture, Amid Flu Case Spike.
Junior doctors in England are set to begin strike action later this week after members of the British Medical Association overwhelmingly voted to turn down the government’s latest pay offer, following a nationwide ballot result.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting last week presented an offer of improved specialist training options to doctors, in a bid to head off looming industrial action nationwide dispute.
Young Doctors In The UK Overwhelmingly Approved The Strike Action
Nevertheless, the junior doctors in England voted by a substantial majority to proceed with the industrial action, which is officially scheduled to commence at 7 a.m. on 17 December and conclude at 7 a.m. on 22 December.
The BMA announced on Monday that the physicians had elected to proceed with industrial action, with the mandate being secured by an 83 per cent majority against 17 per cent, based on a membership turnout of 65 per cent.
This development coincides with a sharp escalation in influenza incidence, prompting health authorities to caution that the National Health Service (NHS) is confronting a “worst-case scenario” during the month of December.
What Is The Main Reason For Strikes In The UK?
Mr. Streeting has publicly labelled the impending strike action as “irresponsible,” articulating a concern that the selected dates, immediately preceding the Christmas bank holidays and coinciding with the NHS’s frequent ‘winter crisis’, introduce a “different magnitude of risk” when compared to previous episodes of industrial action. In comments delivered to LBC last week, Mr. Streeting asserted that the prevailing circumstances represent a level of duress on the NHS arguably exceeding any pressure the service has encountered since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main reason for the strike isn’t just a simple demand for a pay rise; it is based on the real-term loss of income that doctors have experienced over the last 15 years.
The most striking data regarding the strike’s impact is visible in the number of cancelled appointments and operations.