To think people are very quick to forget the pandemic

[BelleMarionette]

Myself, and other junior doctors, worked hard on the covid wards, in appalling conditions. We didn't have decent PPE, and often had little to no relevant experience or training, as many were redeployed with little notice (in my case, 36 hours). Almost all of of us became sick, some very seriously so, and some even died. Many more were left struggling with our own mental health, suffering from PTSD, anxiety and depression.

We are now striking, due to pay erosion over the past 15 years. In real terms its around a 30% pay cut. It's difficult to live on what we are be being paid, especially with families to support.

I have seen an awful lot of negative comments about junior doctors on another thread. Aibu to think the public has been very quick to forget our contribution during the pandemic?

I would dearly love to be wrong and see support

For all those saying the retail workers also worked through the pandemic, no offence, but you can hardly compare being a junior Doctor (with the stresses and life or death decisions) with the tasks that a retail worker has to carry out. That is absolutely crazy! They are not like for like and also retail workers are paid by PRIVATE companies, so the government does not control retail workers wages!

Most of my colleagues caught covid before we were eligible for the vaccine. Our PPE consisted of a face mask and an open window. Over half the workforce in the uk went to work during the pandemic because they could not work from home. I’m not complaining about that as I would much rather have risked covid than stay at home. I imagine most doctors would also rather take the risk (possibly in the wrong job, if not). I’m sure there are good reasons to strike but I don’t think the pandemic is one of them.

I think everyone seems to forget most things very quickly.

As soon as something new comes about they drop the old news like a hot potato. Doesn't make it okay.

The strikes have been barely mentioned on the news, it's all been St. Lineker and the BBC, I barely knew they were happening

cleanclothes.org/blog/leicesters-coronavirus-lockdown-is-no-surprise-to-its-garment-factory-workers

I agree. People have short memories and should not forget.

Oh give over. If you’re a junior dr , Covid was hardly “dangerous” to you.
Doctors are relatively well paid and privileged all things considering. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to change about the NHS, increasing doctor pay isn’t one of them.

This. Privatisation is happening and we cannot prevent it. I am seeing some of the private companies taking low risk procedures and operations and leaving NHS staff to deal with complicated stuff.
At least if you work for these companies, you have work life balance - you work when you need money. For people saying that you need NHS to train, you don't! In fact, you get better training as a junior doctor with decent living conditions in Australia / New Zealand.

I've had six vaccinations but each of my infections has been symptomatic aside from one, which was pre-vaccines.

I'm immunosuppressed so don't get a good immune response from any vaccinations - best they do is reduce symptoms slightly. Which is very welcome.

If a healthy person with no immunosuppression has only had two vaccinations and no boosters (I'm guessing the last was a long time ago) the likelihood would be that they would catch covid more often than someone who has had more/more recent vaccinations.

Some people here do not realise how HCPs worked during covid.

Some really negative comments and poisonous posts! There are people who simply refuse to listen to what people working NHS are saying !

You have my support OP.

Thank you.

Many here don't realise that by not supporting NHS workers, just results in losing workers. Either to career change, or working abroad. Which creates more unfilled posts, leading to worse patient care.

2/3 of those finishing foundation training are not applying for speciality training now. That is really worrying.

Protesting for better working conditions is one thing that I would 100% back. Protesting for better wages not so much you need to earn that by working your way up and gaining experience like everyone else does

This. OP - you're fucking amazing. I am so sorry about the race to the bottom. Junior doctors are being treated so badly. i hated the whole clapping-for-the -NHS from the start. But you guys were amazing. And irrespective of the pandemic, junior doctors need more pay and more time off.

It wasn't clap for the nhs it was clap for keyworkers it's just the nhs workers made it about themselves and then slagged of everyone who did it

Oh god! I thought the NHS hero stuff was over but he we go again!

Wow. Are you really comparing a junior doctor to a supermarket worker.

Its nothing to do with working during COVID. Ridiculous.

“Myself and other doctors”…sorry I don’t buy it. Anyone intelligent enough to be a junior doctor would have better grammar. That said, I agree with the sentiment.

I think that junior doctors or any HCP should not work more than a minute after their shift finishes. NHS runs on goodwill of so many working in the hospitals. This should stop, stop now!

If we pay 14.10 p / hr for each hour the junior doctors overstay their contract hours, probably they won't complain. At least if they are treated decently and have some control over their life they would not have decided to take industrial action.

This is how they are treated,

king's College Hospital Trust
nt
recently had to issue a statement aler junior doctors complained about an mail from the neurology department telling them that it was their "duty" fill rota shifts at short notice.
y high
sekeeping
The email read, "Having made plans' is not a good reason to refuse cover, as of course we all make plans on how we wish to spend our free time .. It is about cancelling those plans, and instead coming to work ... If itis your wedding, however, no one will want you to cancel that (unless it is too frequent an event in your life). Also one cannot be expected to cover if they are not in the country."

I know, I agree.

Op I support you and all of the junior doctors. The public want it both ways, they want you to be fucking martyrs and they want to clap and put rainbows in their windows when it suits which means nothing.

You deserve pay that reflects the intensity and training. Kind of disgusting that people are arguing against this. What kind of health service so they even want.

And mark my words, they are the first to complain when they get treated badly during pregnancy care etc. Bitching on here. Hypocrites.

Basically all public services workers. People who work with kids with SEN who get kicked and punched every day.

Exactly! The police aren’t allowed to strike the the rest. Haven’t had a proper pay rise in 16 years!

@Tandora we were proning and de-proning the whole of covid itu every night for months. I can remember 3 people who made it out of itu.

Railway staff also had to work throughout the pandemic and are striking again this week
At least the government are working hard to stop a few immigrants getting in
No idea what else they are doing

I worked in a supermarket throughout covid we didn't have any ppe for ages we didn't even have hand sanitiser 3 of my colleagues from the store I work in died of covid. I ended up.with long covid along many others which means I had to significantly cut my hours at work which had a massive financial impact on me as a single mum. Unlike doctors we wasn't allowed to check customers temperatures or ask if they had any symptoms or only allow one person in.at a time. The difference between retail workers and the nhs is retail workers all have face to face roles a significant amount of nhs workers didn't but they still managed to get to the front of the queue with their lanyards to get their discounts and free stuff.

Yep 🙄