Junior doctors across the country took part in a 24-hour walkout today for the second time in four weeks.
Industrial action began at 8am on Wednesday 10 February and will end at 8am on Thursday 11 February.
Mark McInerney who is a junior doctor at Salford Royal Hospital told SalfordOnline.com, “We’re here today to oppose government’s unfair treatment to doctors, their contracts and pay.”
“Jeremy Hunt MP has lied to millions of us on live television that the changes ‘won’t affect pay’ and ‘doctors will be paid more under the new proposals’ when actually the reality is many doctors will face a reduction in pay.”
“He continues to lie and manipulate views in the media particularly with regards to weekend mortality rates.”
This was referring to Jeremy Hunt MP’s statement that ‘excessive overtime pay for junior doctors must be cut’ as it is a ‘disincentive for hospitals to employ senior doctors at weekends because they will have to pay more.’
In the same statement he said that this contributed to 11,000 extra deaths a year at weekend.
Dr. McInerney went on to say, “I believe the governments proposals are damaging to morale, all this could have been avoided had the health secretary engaged with junior doctors before now.”
“Being here today is a necessity not choice.”
Responding to a question by SalfordOnline.com regarding Jeremy Hunt’s future as health secretary, Mark McInerney, 29, said, “I am calling for his resignation, I’m not out to attack tories, this is down to the misinterpretation of facts and the total failure to engage with us.”
“We don’t like doing this, we’re used to caring for people, but doctors now are wondering if it’s any use continuing training in the UK.”
“We can get better pay and better working conditions by training abroad now.”
Read: Junior Doctor’s Strike: ‘Unsafe contracts will put patients at risk’ http://salfordonline.com/16271-junior-doctors-strike-salford-royal-moet-medics.html
R. Siddall Photography
Emma Harrell an FY2 doctor at Salford Royal didn’t share the same view regarding Jeremy Hunt, she said, “This fight is not solely against Jeremy Hunt, his resignation won’t change the negotiations.”
“If no agreement is made however industrial action will continue as when we held a ballot in December discussing strike action, 98% responded with a positive ‘yes’.”
“More and more doctors will end up out here if not.”
“The number of doctors in the UK is going down, more will be forced out.”
There are no more rounds of negotiations planned by the government, so doctors may strike again before too long.
Main image: R. Siddall Photography
