Doctors' strike? What do you think?

[Solopower]

I think it's gong to be on 21 June, unless they can negotiate a solution with the NHS Employers' organisation (whoever they are).

Are they right to strike to protect their pensions?

Might as well abolish the hippocratic oath. Doctors clearly don't believe in it anymore.

you seem to have a gripe against doctors
it's apparent in your posts
certainly greedy bastards was a clue. to be frank you're opinion isn't balanced or objective

What a load of codswollop Josephine - many doctors are not taking part in this action and those who are are still maintaining all emergency work plus patients who have prebooked appointments - personally they might as well not bother as this will achieve nothing. But Hippocratic Oath - do you really think a doctor would see someone seriously ill and say "Nah"! Sorry but I am on strike"? Honestly - do you?

I don't know. Would they?

If the answer is no, then exactly what bargaining power do they have? We should slash their wages and pay them what they are worth on the free market. Which is a hell of a lot less than they currently get.

making it explicit for you
emergency,and urgent cover retained. so in the what if scenario that person would indeed be seen.

Doctors haven't said the hippocratic oath for decades Josephine

If Drs were paid what they're worth on the free market they would make more than what they're making at the moment.

Josephine

Are you recommending that doctors should refuse to see people who need urgent help in order to increase bargaining power?

I think that you might be surprised about the free market. If I took a permament job in the private sector I would be paid very significantly more than I get at the moment. Thats not what I want to do, but a non-nhs UK would cost more, not less, IMO.

If the approx 125,000 doctors that worked for the NHS were suddenly thrown upon the private sector, and the BMA cartel declared illegal, how much do you think the average doctor would be paid?

If I worked the hours that I currently work as a GP, in the private sector, at current rates, I would be earning 30%-50% more than I currently do. There is an enormous amount of goodwill in the NHS, not just by doctors, by most clinical and administrative staff. I work in the NHS because I don't WANT to work in the private sector.

Who would work in the NHS then? or if you get rid of the NHS, who will look after the patients?

Same here Hilary, I have lost count of the unpaid hours I have done in my time. I don't mind not getting those hours paid as on the whole I loved my job ( not a doctor btw Josephine)but don't suddenly mess about with our pensions/jobs/pay without expecting us to make a fuss.

"Current rates" would be considerably lower without the NHS propping them up. If their is a considerable amount of goodwill in the NHS, why are they throwing tantrums at the prospect of being paid a bit closer to what they are worth?

They're not cutting our pay, they're cutting our pensions.

Goodwill doesnt mean that you have to accept every change to your T+C without complaint. There have already been a lot of changes that have been accepted including a renegotiated pension scheme in 2008.

It might be that another change to the pension scheme will tip the balance for people in terms of staying in the NHS with its wages and pension or moving to private with much higher wages but no nhs style pension.

hippocratic oath,depends which uni attended
was also amended and updated

How do you calculate what someone is 'worth', Josephine?

Is it Glasgow that uses the modern Hippocratic oath?

How do you calculate what someone is 'worth', Josephine?
What their employer is prepared to pay them. How else?

I support the strikes. I also agree with a PP who said that this stinks of a 'Divide and Rule' mentality. In the last year they have targeted teachers, nurses and now doctors who work in the public sector, and it seems that the general public are quite happy to set on them with glee. Yet where would the average Joe be without the education or medical care that he public sector provides? Could they afford to pay bills/insurance for giving birth, all the childhood illnesses that happen and then pay for schooling for their children as well? I very much doubt it.

The attitude from some people towards public sector workers appalls me.

The attitude from some public sector workers to private sector workers appalls me. I didn't see them say anything during Labour's term in power when private sector workers were seeing their wages and conditions decimated. And now they expect solidarity? Forget about it. They're just out to feather their own nests at the expense of everyone else.

Thats right Josephine, but then if a different employer turns out to be providing better T+C and the feeling of good will to the NHS has eroded a bit them people might vote with their feet. And then the cost to the country will rise because people will still need medical care, but private healthcare organisations have to make a profit as well as paying overheads.

Josephine, I am their employer and I am prepared to pay them whatever they want to do their job! I am also prepared to pay for their education and pensions. After all, they are paying for mine ... That's what society is, in my book.

In addition to that, they might save my life one day.

So 1.7 million NHS employees are going to find jobs with better T&Cs?

There is no feeling of good will. It' a myth. People work for the NHS (and the public sector in general) because it's a cushy job, almost impossible to get fired from, with pay and pension rights far beyond those in the private sector.

Josephine, I am their employer and I am prepared to pay them whatever they want to do their job!
Fine. Pay them out of your own pocket instead of expecting others who think otherwise to pay on your behalf.

Do you run a business? Would you pay your employees "whatever they want to do their job"? As well as paying for their education and pensions?