the
medicalstudent The voice of London’s Medical Students
March 2012
Interview with Sameer from BBC Junior Doctors Page 6
Healthcare in Ghana - an exploration Page 8
History Made By BMA Ballot Rhys Davies
On 25th February, the British Medical Association announced that it will hold a ballot, the first one in 37 years, on industrial action. This is a response to the government’s latest proposed changes to the NHS pension scheme. The last time a ballot was held was in 1975, nearly out of living memory of most current doctors. The possibility of industrial action has been suggested since then but it has never reached the stage where a ballot was necessary. The industrial action would be protesting against what is seen as unnecessary reforms to the NHS pension scheme. The government’s current offer includes raising the retirement age to 68, increasing the proportion of contributions to the pension fund and switch the pension from a final salary scheme to ‘career average re-
valued earnings’ for hospital doctors. For junior doctors and medical students, this could mean that they pay an extra £200,000 over the course of their career. For students starting their education this year, that would be on top of debts of around £70,000. In January, the BMA surveyed its 130,000 members, both doctors and medical students, for their views on the proposed changes. Of the 46,000 who responded, more than 80% thought that the government’s offer should be rejected and nearly two thirds stated that they were willing to take industrial action in order to secure a fairer deal for doctors. It will be interesting to see how many of those respondents maintain this commitment in the upcoming ballot. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA Council, speaking at a press release on the decision to ballot, emphasised the gravity of the action. ‘The decision to ballot for the first time in 40
years has not been taken lightly. Doctors and medical students have overwhelmingly rejected the current offer, and we’ve pursued every avenue we possibly could to bring the government back to meaningful talks. With no signs of movement, we simply cannot ignore this strength of feeling by medical staff. We therefore have no other option but to ballot on industrial action.’ The BMA has stated that its priority, and the purpose of the protests, is to urge the government to resume negotiations over changes to the pension scheme. The BMA has ruled out the possibility of a full strike, out of concern for patients’ welfare and safety. Industrial action could then take the form of ‘work-to-rule’, where doctors adhere religiously to the conditions of their contracts. For junior doctors, this would mean actually leaving work at the end of their shift - and complying with the European Work-
ing Time Directive for once. This was the form the protests in 1975 took. The government’s response to the BMA’s decision has been one of disappointment. They are of the opinion that their proposals are generous to NHS staff but fair with consideration to other public sector pensions. Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, speaking in an interview with Sky News, said, ‘it's a matter of recognising that given the financial circumstances of the country and the pressure on taxpayers we always have to look carefully and ensure that we have a pension scheme that is generous for NHS staff. We want to make sure they have a good, high-quality retirement but at the same time, making sure that it isn't unaffordable in the future.’ After consulting its members, the BMA has roundly rejected the government’s proposed changes, (cont’d on page 2)
Is it right to strike - an in depth discussion Page 12
East Meets West - the review Page 18
Why London is superior to everywhere else Page 20