To wonder if the Doctors strike will still go ahead next week?

[Netcurtainnelly]

Does anyone know when it will be decided if the strike will be called off because of the flu next week?

What do you think about it?

I hope it will be called off.

I don’t know, but given the news about the latest flu virus and how it’s impacting the hospitals, I doubt many would support it really.

I can’t see why they’d call it off. They’re trying to make an impact. It defeats the object if they cancel the strike now

I think more people will have less sympathy for the striking doctors now

I think the current reporting and narative around flu is being driven by the government solely to put pressure on the doctors to call off the strike. Only time will tell if its worked.

It will be carnage if it does go ahead.
Scary times.

Numbers in hospital with flu are incredibly high, though.

They are, but the graphs on the BBC show a fairly usual trend just a couple of weeks early, this is not unprecedented. I strongly suspect the peak will be announced shortly after the strike is averted. Im not disputing the fact its a bad flu season, it is, clearly a lot of people are unwell, but the media hysteria is political in my opinion.

Agree completely. The flu is coming earlier than usual, but it’s not higher than usual. Major press coverage is to stop the strikes.

Hubby had a doctors appointment who said it would go ahead.

Agree. This government has chosen to continue the situation of running the NHS hot every winter with not enough beds or staff.

Streeting must have known about the fury that was building about unemployed doctors due to ridiculous amounts of international medical graduates applying for UK specialty training posts. The genie is out of the bottle.

It’s a tough call because wherever they do they will be criticism. I did think that the Doctors had a pay rise fairly recently, but happy to be told I am
wrong. I did read its about more than about money too, but the actual facts around this latest strike I am hazy on.

Can't the government just pass legislation banning them from striking?

The BMA are putting the Government’s latest offer to their members at the moment, so it will depend how the members react to that. It’s important to note that this is not just about money, it’s about workforce planning. Our hospitals are in meltdown most of the year and even more so every winter, this is nothing new unfortunately.

It isn't just about money!

My son would actually like a locker to put his things away safely in and a desk at which to work rather than having to sit on the floor filling in notes!
He would like his exam fees paid for to become a specialist in his field as most professional examinations are paid for by companies or refunded after success. These exam fees are no small amount let me tell you and there are many exams if you would like to be the best you can be and the most understanding doctor.
He would also like his interest on his student loan degree and Masters degree loan vastly reduced as he has committed to the NHS whilst many have fled overseas and will never repay theirs.
He would like to have the training place guaranteed for him to finish his specialist training but will have to reapply for a role next year and there may not be enough jobs. How can we have unemployed doctors for goodness sake when you walk through the war zone that is now A and E.

As the offer includes increased training posts if they reject this then this is about monies only and it is hard to claim poverty when for 44 hrs week your gross pay is well above 40K extending to 90K the more senior resident you are.

No sympathy for them anymore they had a 30+% payrise and they want another 25%-do not support another strike for this bunch of out of touch people.

My son would love to just work 44 hours a week!

He regularly stays to check on his patients and fails to get to family events owing to an emergency before leaving. He isn't paid for that overtime but stays because he sees it as his duty as a good doctor and working in a 'caring' profession.

My son is far from out of touch. He sees the reality of management who have not one ounce of medical knowledge including our Health secretary, making life and death decisions about patient care in corridors. He just wants decent working conditions and a better run NHS which is surely what we all want?

I hope they do call it off. Pretty callous if they don’t

He is paid if he exception reports and it an average hourly week rate so some weeks more, some less.

Agree with everything you say. I have a child that it spending a year in a Trust Grade job rather than progressing to higher specialty training due to ridiculous competition ratios in 2025.

Streeting has absolutely no idea.

There’s some heavy briefing against the doctors by the gov. In answer to the op not sure how the vote will go.

The greedy BMA will be milking it to demand more from the government, and then there'll be some kind of "background" deal done where both the BMA and the govt can claim to have won and the doctors will go back to work. Of course, the taxpayers will end up having to pay.

The Labour party is bank rolled by the unions, so they'd never risk doing it and risk losing the millions paid by the unions/union members.

They've had some pretty big rises, so I think time to rein it in.

Ah yes how could I forget?