It seems clear that Jeremy Hunt has publicly spread misinformation, which has confused and misled the public. The idea that there is a need to “extend” to a seven-day NHS belies the fact that this already exists. He claims that patients are more at risk at weekends – misunderstanding and misrepresenting a study that investigated associations between day of admission and mortality risk. Hunt’s language has been problematic and unhelpful – referring to those speaking out against the proposed changes as “militants”, for example, in an attempt to undermine them. The junior doctors I spoke to believe a strike is unavoidable because Jeremy Hunt has not allowed room for negotiation. This is not a rash decision: the BMA and the government have been discussing the junior doctor contract since 2012, but no satisfactory progress has been made and there has been a lack of meaningful negotiation. Hunt has also recently claimed in the press that he has offered junior doctors an 11% pay rise as part of this new contract. However, this ignores the fact that his plan to remove banding pay and change the classification of “sociable” hours will mean this is more likely to be a pay cut for most. Junior doctors were originally offered a 15% rise in basic pay to make up for the loss of the extra banding pay, the pay that Hunt dubbed “danger money”, so 11% is actually lower than they were initially offered and not a pay rise at all. This isn’t about money – at the end of the day, a medical degree is very transferrable. Junior doctors are spending their free time campaigning so passionately about this for the love of the NHS, rather than for their livelihood. We’re fighting to protect the NHS, and the public. I never imagined that I would go on strike during my career, let alone be considering strike action just 16 months after qualifying as a doctor. It’s not a situation that anyone wants to be in, but we feel this is the only option left to protect patients, protect doctors and protect our nation’s NHS – Dr Emily Brown, junior doctor There are also big changes for those working less than full time and those wanting to undertake academic work. These doctors will lose their pay progression, in effect being financially punished for gaining a more rounded skill set and keeping abreast of medical research. This change
The ‘free press’ is run by very politically motivated moguls who use their dominance of the media to get across some political ideas and achieve political objectives. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states that we support export international extremism which is not just a threat to the people of the middle east, its a threat to the people of this country - OWEN JONES
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adbusters - 2002