According to a statement by the British Medical Association (BMA) on Friday, junior doctors in England are preparing for a five-day strike in July, which the union claims will be the “most extensive period of industrial action” ever seen in the state-run NHS.
The walkouts have been announced by the BMA to begin on July 13
Following the announcement, a recent survey conducted by the BMA revealed that junior doctors in the UK are facing an overwhelming surge in opportunities to work abroad, surpassing any previous instances in the past four months.
Of the nearly 2,000 junior doctors surveyed, slightly over half disclosed that they have received an increased number of job advertisements from recruiters for overseas positions, coinciding with the announcement of strikes.
Expressing their concerns, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, criticized the government for its apparent disregard for the NHS. They highlighted the detrimental effects of years of real-term pay cuts on doctors, leading to their departure from the NHS. They also pointed out the growing waiting lists for surgeries and procedures, as well as the significant number of vacant doctors’ posts in hospitals. Furthermore, they emphasized the allure of foreign governments enticing doctors with fairer compensation compared to the current rate of £14 per hour.
Despite the conclusion of the previous round of strikes nearly a week ago, the BMA representatives expressed disappointment in the lack of response from Rishi Sunak and Steve Barclay. They noted the absence of reopening negotiations since the breakdown of talks and the cancellation of all scheduled meetings a month ago.
