Is there sympathy for consultants striking?

[LadyTemperance]

Just as the thread title says, do you feel sympathy for the consultant doctors pay demands. I understand their pay has not gone up for many years meaning they have had a cut in real terms. That being said a quick google tells me they start on 88k and have regular pay rises not based on performance.
They are hardly on the bread line are they?

He/ she would lead in her own care by googling and taking smelling salts.

Yes, and even if I didn't, I'd still support them purely out of self-interest, because we need them for our own health. If they all continue fucking off abroad, working massively reduced hours, taking early retirement, cos the pay and working conditions arent good enough, we will just continue to have worse and worse access to healthcare.

@GCalltheway where do you think consultants in private hospitals also work? The NHS! Surprise, surprise.
I suppose you’ll be choosing to die on the street then? I wouldn’t personally recommend it but you are of course free to make unwise decisions. Anyway, I’m tired of engaging with your moronic prattle. Have a good eve.

*I have worked in Dubai. It’s not fun living on a compound and the schooling is below average.”

Well you made the wrong choices! Our relative had a lovely apartment on The Palm; and they ran a school rated outstanding by Ofsted! We went to some great restaurants and a fantastic brunch! We especially loved going to the evening fountain show at the Burj Khalifa; a dinner show in the desert; and the Cultural Centre! I don’t know what you are talking about “it’s not fun living on a compound”!

Are you sure you worked in Dubai? It doesn’t sound the same place as we went!

I've never met anyone who thought lawyers deserved their fees or plumbers! I can guarantee no one would have sympathy if they were striking!

£375 plus VAT per hour is completely normal in the law and accountancy professions, at least in London. The rule of thumb to earn between a quarter and a third of your charge out rate. The rest goes on office overheads, admin staff costs, training and profit for the partners. Clients who want their lawyer/accountant to have a prestigious Central London address have to pay the cost of that; and it’s not cheap!

Lawyers and accountants don’t go on strike. The firms have to pay their staff what they want; or they’ll go elsewhere.

100% support them. People saying they are paid enough? Ridiculous.
These are critical professionals, many of whom will save the life of someone you love.

Whoever quoted £88k and said that was fair is incredibly naive. We have people in our marketing agency on more than that after 5 or 6 years. People who oversee promotions for drinks brands, and create websites for a living, earning more than medics who have studied for over a decade and worked to the brink of exhaustion the entire time. And it's not just our agency, you will be paid that in a thousand other businesses for much less effort than consultants.

If you really think the pay is appropriate then I hope you never need emergency care. We have to do something urgently about the state of our public services or there will be no real NHS left for the majority of people. Which is probably exactly what the government want.

You think private healthcre is the answer have you watched ' this is going to hurt?" If not I suggest you do.

I didn't know they were striking, or planning to strike. I'd need to look into the circumstances more; but on the whole, my sympathy will always be for the poorest paid workers in society. Amazon workers, cleaners, minimum wage and/or zero hours workers generally.
To be a top professional, you've already won at life in so many ways. Natural high academic ability, good education, all sorts of privilege, and huge social capital. I realise they'll also have worked extremely hard; but so do cleaners et al...

MaidOfSteel · Yesterday 12:45

I mist admit I'm finding it hard to muster up any sympathy for them. £100K and, for many, the opportunity to earn loads more privately. Nah.”

You were free to study medicine and earn £100K (pre-deductions, mad hours and lives literally in their hands).

GCalltheway · Yesterday 19:27

I don’t need them, no, and quite frankly I would rather die in the street than be subjected to your patronising and insulting treatment. Or choose a private hospital that actually prioritises the patient.

You are doing yourself no favours btw. You are coming across as rude and ignorant”

The MO of most private hospitals is to transfer difficult cases to NHS teaching hospitals.

Agreed & while they are well paid in relative terms it’s a drop in the ocean compared to some salaries in the financial sector. My life was saved by some amazing consultants, doctors & nurses & I support them all.

Yes, I also have sympathy for striking cleaners etc. However, your argument doesn't make a lot of sense. Consultants may have 'won' in terms of natural ability etc, but how does that negate the need for fair pay and safe working conditions?

I support consultants for selfish reasons I suppose. One saved my young child's sight. Had I not had access to that consultant's skill, expertise, ability and willingness to do his job my son would be blind now. We need to listen to what our medics are telling us because we can't afford to lose them.

Completely support them - I am a nurse in ITU.My consultant team are amazing

Have you actually read the posts? They are vile. God complex all over the place.

Tacky as hell.

wanting fair pay and conditions is ‘god complex’

😂😂😂😂😂

Tacky as hell.

I didn’t give my personal opinions on Dubai, we went to see a relative. How ever, people go there for work, or choose to go on holiday; and they seem to like it. We know UK Muslims, who like it for holidays, because all the food is halal.

However, your comments about it’s not fun, living on a compound, and schooling is below average are factually incorrect with regards to Dubai, from what we saw. Expats usually get school fees for two of their children, paid for by their employer. It’s down to the parents to choose a good/outstanding international school.

I didn’t know ofsted’s remit stretched to the UAE 😂

@FirstTimeNameChanger yes, they absolutely deserve fair pay and conditions, as does everyone. In all honesty, I don't know much about the situation. I need to inform myself. My post above was more based on initial instinct. I didn't even know they were striking till reading this thread

@GCalltheway

Yes, international British schools in the UAE, running the English National Curriculum ask for inspections by British Schools Overseas, which sends Ofsted trained inspectors.

https://mytutorsource.ae/blog/best-schools-in-dubai-and-why-are-they-best/

GCalltheway · Yesterday 13:12
MrsSkylerWhite · Yesterday 10:27

GCalltheway · Yesterday 19:27

I don’t need them, no, and quite frankly I would rather die in the street than be subjected to your patronising and insulting treatment. Or choose a private hospital that actually prioritises the patient.

You are doing yourself no favours btw. You are coming across as rude and ignorant”

The MO of most private hospitals is to transfer difficult cases to NHS teaching hospitals.

“Have you actually read the posts? They are vile. God complex all over the place.”

You’ve lost me! All I was saying was that most private hospitals transfer difficult cases to NHS teaching hospitals.

Name changed as this is outing.

I'm a junior doctor- about 2 years away from being a Consultant.

I graduated with £100k debt which was finally paid off after 8 years of work. Live in a house that cost £275k, bought with significant deposit gift from husband's parents and couldn't afford to upsize even if I wanted to.

I'm in Northern Ireland, and to complete my specialty training I have to go to England for several years.

Having taken on huge debt, delayed starting my family, and now moved to a different country all to become a consultant, I'm faced with a choice when I finish. Move back to NI, where the staffing is the worst in the UK, and the need the greatest, where our non-government won't come to work so money can't be released for jobs, where 1/3 of the people in my very specialised role have been off with stress in 2023. Or take advantage of the fact that I've already uprooted my husband and children and move back to Dublin, where the health service is trying to improve & my starting salary will be €210k for fewer hours a less on-call.

Or option 3, use the skills that my training has given me and get a job in industry, where I won't be as fulfilled, but can easily start on £100k for no clinical risk, very little stress, and the chance to be present for my family.

I have always led my life using my conscience and I would urge you to do the same. In the near future you will earn significant sums, and fulfilment comes from something other than the accumulation of assets. Later in life it becomes bigger than that. Integrity is price less.

Honestly do what's best for your and your family, don't feel obliged to do something for whatever reason. I think people need to realise that doctors are doing a job, they aren't owned by the public nor should they be guilt tripped into anything. At the end of the day the NHS needs doctors more than doctors need the NHS, plenty of opportunities out there. If you do stay in the NHS then absolutely draw boundaries.