My payslip as a doctor in Feb 2021 during COVID

[Juniordoc]

See attached image. Yes this is for full-time work with weekends and nights in the currently stretched working conditions that the NHS provides.

This does not include the expenses and sacrifices of a six year medical degree. On top of that, we have to pay out of pocket for our own GMC membership, medical defence union, postgrad exams and revision courses, conferences and courses.

Please get behind us and support the strikes. We are burnout, exhausted and struggling to live

Out of interest, have you paid off your student loan already? Mine comes out of my payslip.

Fuck me, that's horrendous! Totally support your strike!!!

I fully agree with a PP's comment that pay for doctors shouldn't be compared to minimum wage. It's a highly-skilled profession and should be remunerated accordingly. Same goes for teachers etc. For openness: I am a teacher. I take home £1540 but only work three days a week (am a bit more experienced than OP was, but not much and whilst teaching is bloody hard, it's not on a par with being a doctor).

Not if the working conditions are shit. Even if they got a 50% pay bump, people are leaving the NHS because they can't cope with the conditions. They're burnt out and stressed. Giving them money won't magically make the mental health problems caused by the job evaporate.

There aren't enough locums to cover all shifts at the moment. If the doctors that are there no longer want to do them staffing levels fall further.

I‘m sure there are, there are a lot of arseholes about these days

"You shouldn't get paid more because other people don't" is a shit argument. It's not a race to the bottom. We should be agitating for everyone to have a decent wage.

I don't think anyone who applied many years ago when applying for med school would have predicted the state of the economy or the erosion of pay. They are asking for pay restoration and not a rise. You also well know if you have been married to a GP that junior doctors are qualified doctors, yes they are in training still but they aren't trainees that deserve to be paid peanuts. You'll also know the ridiculous workload and demands on a GP, the factors which cause a shortage, and the pay they could earn abroad for better conditions and less work?

This ^^ is the most sensible comment on the thread so far.

That is shocking.
I am so sorry

To add to my message of non support (I know, I know. It’s not nice. But I’m honest), you’ll have a fantastic pension. It may mean little now but down the road, you’ll have achieved a lifestyle through hard work and a great mind. And you will be well supported in old age. It’s a slog now. But believe me, you’ll be financially rewarded for your good, hard work for your entire career. There are plenty of professionals who will always remain stuck on low wages.

Pay isn't the only element no, but it's an important factor and will increase retention which would help with conditions.

I agree the hours are too long for the pay. That needs to be adressed. But on the other hand it's a few years of poor pay and then megabucks. And the competition to get into medicine is fiercer than ever.

AHCP here. You have my support. Quite shocked at how close your take home is to mine as B3 AfC. I knew you were on pittance but that's shocking.

Oh FFS.
When window cleaners and dog walkers earn more than Doctors it's a sign that our country is really fucked up.
My family in the US were horrified at how little our health staff are paid. No wonder Dr's are quitting.
My DH teaches A level biology and chemistry, at one time his class was full of aspiring medics, Not any more. Why bother when you can work in IT, from home, with non of the stress and twice the pay.
For context OP, my new graduate DD is on £40k 3 months into her first job and is aiming for £70k within 2 years.

Teachers don’t resuscitate people or prescribe medicines or have conversations with the dying. They don’t do heart surgery or deal with the aftermath of road traffic collisions. They don’t have to move around the country every six months during their first few years.

And teachers are for the most part underpaid.

I totally support you and always have.

@Allmyarseandpeggymartin indeed there are, plenty of arseholes who have no fucking idea what others are going through and how they are impacted.

Sorry, with all due respect, your niece is paid on the very low side for a trainee solicitor. That almost certainly means much more relaxed hours and a smaller workscope – I had coursemates who chose firms outside of the Magic Circle and lower down in the rankings (with much lower pay of course) for this reason. In a small firm, she won't be working as hard as a doctor for sure!

Terrible pay. You'd be better off having a child, "not knowing" the father and claiming UC and all your rent and CTax paid. No transport costs, no parking costs, no retraining costs. Free prescriptions - and no night shifts.
I'm sorry - but that is the truth. Our society is so screwed. No-one wants to pay for anything and no-one wants to pay tax - and a lot of people don't see why they should do anything they don't want to do. (ie Work)

Thank you for what you do - I support your strike.

Shocking,
Right behind you x

I feel for you OP. I am an NHS worker with a much easier (in my opinion) job than you, and on a much higher salary, better working conditions, etc.

I see day in, day out, how hard FY1s (and others) graft and the devastating consequences of them being overworked and exhausted. Good luck to you. I hope it can be resolved soon.

This is pretty much what my wage slip looked like as a doctor of the same grade in 2010. The job is no easier, the stress is no less and the cost of living has gone up.
I do think the BMA need to ‘read the room’ though and perhaps campaign for a 5-10 year plan for pay restoration.

Completely standing beside you. Doctors, nurses, hcas, allied hcps, all work for peanuts in comparison to what your working day entails. It’s a disgrace what’s happening to our nhs and you can clearly tell who is a Tory and avid daily Mail fan in some of the comments you’ve recieved on this thread.
I know how hard f1 & f2 docs work. You are the back bone of the medical staff and without you patients wouldn’t be clerked, assessed or discharged successfully! Know that the majority of your patients have your back 💕 you do an amazing job. X

I support you.

I had a really frustrating conversation with my mum and some of her friends yesterday who do not support the strikes. They seem to think the average pay for junior doctors is £65k, is that correct? Even if it is, I think you deserve a pay rise for the insane hours and life saving work you do.

we are behind you 100% keep fighting you deserve much better