To finally agree with a junior doctors strike

[Horsehow]

Junior doctors have decided to strike as they are being overlooked for jobs / training posts which are instead given to international applicants. I’ve always abhorred their money grabbing strikes in the past, but support this one 100%. UK doctors should be recruited where possible, and international graduates only turned to where we cannot find a suitable recruit in the UK.

I have never met him so never said he was listening.

I have no respect for Wes Streeting. I think I liked Jeremy Hunt better. At least there was no pretence...

My apologies. Your friend said it. I tend to group your utterances together.

He will do something now because of worries of a Reform government in the future.

Reform will associate the excessive IMG applications and UKMG unemployment with excessive migration.

Anyhow, at least you and I can agree that for this particular round of specialty training applications, there's change, but not the change you were hopeful of.

Well you are exercised enough about UK graduates not getting training posts. That is the same as thinking every UK graduate should progress.

That is where you are mistaken.

Oh ok so you think the changes announced suffice? That's good.

Why are the doctors on X so angry then?

Not at all. The specialty training application is robust for UKMGs. CREST forms and references can be checked easily in the UK.

DBS is another concern as no equivalent for most IMGs. There was information upthread with very worrying cases of GMC not doing robust checks.

Not at all but theBMA strike has made the headlines and there are debates about UKMG unemployment and the reason why.

Wes Streeting cannot play games. He looked very frightened on X.

From the posts I saw most of the anger was about him promising UKMG priority and doing nothing. Only a few about pay.

He has until December

'He has until December' or what purplelights? (or the old one's helper as I like to think of you)

Threatening now as well as rude. Do you know how utterly ridiculous you sound?

I was answering @Sevillian question about what doctors are saying on X.

Who is threatening? Who is rude?

He has until December.? You think that is a threat?

December is when the specialty training application cycle starts. So Wes Streeting has until December to sort this mess out. That is what the doctors on X are saying...

He promised UKMGS prioritisation and they want him to deliver. There were quite a few insults too.

It's not going to happen for 2026, no chance.

Look at the specialty training application window and the dates set for strikes - the threat of which will have incensed him anyway, so not likely to dispose him favourably towards the so called leaders of the BMA.

And he's already made sensible changes.

If that is the case I think he will end up in another post as I think doctors loathe him more than Jeremy Hunt. Apparently BMA have been negotiating for 3 monrjs for UKMG prioritisation.

I think an ex-doctor should be heath secretary as some of his ideas are ridiculous and show no understanding clinical responsibility.

They could introduce the RLMT overnight or they may put a cap on visas or put x years NHS experience preferred in the job specification.

Only the GMC and 5 specialty cap that I could see.

I think he will have to back down. There is someone very sensible in his ear.

Ah I see the rudeness hasn't changed 'old friend'. I still can't understand why anyone wouldn't advocate for UK trained staff. Why wouldn't you stand up for people who are already working in the NHS ?

Thankfully they are in the minority. The news has picked up the story and it's spreading even faster as strikes getting more doctors onto the air waves.

Wes is a politician. He will do what he needs to do to stay in power. Labour were trounced by Reform last night and they are scared. Unemployed UK doctors is not a story they want. But he is starting to rival Hunt as the most disliked health secretary. That takes some doing !

No one, ever, has said anything about guaranteed employment. No one, ever, has said anything denigrating IMGs. The twisted narrative is always used, along with the rudeness, when the argument has been lost.

NHS 10 year plan 'delayed' until 2026 as many stakeholders think it's not v good. Or workable. Wonder what might need changing ?

@PurpleFairyLights change will come. It has to. Government can't keep expanding Unis (which they are - notably for International students to come to the UK - see St Mary's this year), and then recruit staff trained abroad. Not economically viable.

PS good bye strangers. I've met you before ....

I agree that an ex doctor should be in post. I’m a clinical member of staff and it absolutely winds me up that I’m managed by non clinical staff.

mumsneedwine, both you and PurpleFairyLights seem to have absolutely lost the plot, unfortunately. I'm going to avoid responding to the madder comments, which are increasingly less easy to understand - a reflection wholly on the pair of you, not on any reader of the nonsense written.

But for purposes of accuracy, while I referred to you as Purple's friend, it was a completely different poster who referred to Purple as 'the old one's helper'. Here you go, just a few posts back:
''He has until December' or what purplelights? (or the old one's helper as I like to think of you)
Threatening now as well as rude. Do you know how utterly ridiculous you sound?'

Get your accusations correct.

I note that you've fallen out with Wes as well, despite Wes listening and you 'winning'. Curious that, but tbf this is an odd iteration of the 'win' that you've boasted so often about..

My own view is that the government are correct: the threatened strikes are preposterous and that the public don't have any sympathy for the doctors - largely because of their continued insistence on 'restoration of pay'. The coverage of the strike announcement was also incredibly limited yesterday - a big old damp squib.

I’m not sure about pay but the job shortage seems easy to change. Why are people against that?

Completely agree. Peter Prinsley would be great. Retired ENT consultant who supports prioritisation of UKMGs.

Wes Streeting is just a series of soundbites in human form with very limited understanding.

Lying to doctors is such a stupid thing to do.

Who knows. @mumsneedwine and I have asked that question of the pro-IMG lobby again and again.

The reply is always along the lines of UKMGs being deficient in some way or attack on UK medical education.

How can 20802 IMG applications (63%) to specialty training be seen as reasonable?