To wish I could be marching with the juniordoctors today

[nocoolnamesleft]

Today, thousands of "junior doctors" are marching in London. A junior doctor is every doctor from the moment of qualification, to the moment they turn into a consultant or GP. They are the work horses of the NHS, the backbone of the system.

My own life has twice been saved by junior doctors.

And I, as a paediatric consultant, could not deliver the service I do without them.

Jeremy Hunt wants to impose (not negotiate) a contract which would, by extending the "normal working week":

• remove safeguards on hours limits - unsafe!
• penalise most those who already work the most weekends/nights
• make it even harder to recruit to those specialities
• cause juniors to flee the country
• disproportionately hit women (hits maternity leave, working pattern, ability to work less than full time)

We already cannot recruit enough junior doctors to train in A&E, paediatrics, obstetrics, and GP. This will make it worse.

If you want there to be doctors to treat you, and your families, please support our junior doctors.

The new contract would see them go back to working the way I did in the earliest years. It was not safe then. It will not be safe.

I was involved in the juniors strike in Ireland, 2013 (single day). It's worth noting that public support was very much in our favour at that time. Weekend level cover was provided, and chemotherapy etc not affected.

I am *aware that not all consultants will want to do it
*
That sounds like a dig.

I will be covering to the very best of my ability. I will cancel all the routine stuff and stay until it's done and I really don't mind. I will probably enjoy it. It will just be like every August when everyone is on a weeks induction.

I just question whether it will be in any way effective and won't just lose public sympathy. That is based on experience of the MMC strike action and teachers strikes. It's a way of marking anger and strength of feeling but I doubt it will change the governments mind.

You can see that as disloyal if you like but I have consistently said (on this thread and IRL) that I oppose the changes and I have tried to correct misinformation and make the argument on any platform I have. I just don't like strikes.

Sorry mamadoc not a dig at you. Was thinking about people I know IRL. I really don't want to strike, and hope if wont come to that. But I love my job and and will do all I can to keep it, we just cannot afford to end up paying for me to carry on working.

Ok possibly oversensitive of me then- sorry

I genuinely think it would be a crying shame if you were forced to give up. The loss of all those hard won skills and training to the profession is a disaster.

I must admit the thought of resigning my NTN has brought me to tears more than once. But for now I'm ploughing on. We will know by next August what the lay of the land is.