Support is still strong in Salford for junior doctors planning a series of strikes over contract disputes with the government.
But concerns are being raised over whether more and longer strike action could put patients’ safety at risk.
The British Medical Association has laid out plans for 20 full days of strikes, one week every month until Christmas 2016.
Union experts say the BMA may have shot themselves in the foot by announcing the exact dates of every day of industrial action – to which they must now commit – rather than holding to dates back for leverage in their dispute with the government.
Outside Salford Royal hospital on Eccles Old Road SalfordOnline.com conducted a straw poll of patients, workers and passers-by.
The majority backed industrial action but there were some who believed the BMA had gone too far in pushing ahead an increasingly radical series of walkouts.
Read: 20 more days of strikes in Salford confirmed
In January junior doctors, at the request of the British Medical Association union, underwent the first strike action in 35 years as a result of talks breaking down between the union at the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Nationwide, thousands of check ups, tests and operations were delayed or cancelled.
Since then there have been more walkouts in February and April, by which time it appeared that talks were progressing.
But when Mr Hunt pushed through the imposition of new contracts that would force junior doctors to work longer hours or do more weekend shifts, the BMA decided its only recourse was more severe strike action.
Read: I already work 70-hour weeks, says Walkden junior doctor
The first week of walkouts runs 12-16 September, the second on 5 October, then again between 14-18 November and 5-9 December
A spokesperson for Salford Royal hospital said they would attempt to keep disruption to a minimum throughout the strike action, saying: “Attendances and operations will be honoured and letters will be sent out to all patients if anything changes.”
20-year-old bartender Tom Jones was one of the first to speak to SalfordOnline.com outside the hospital.
He said: “Do I support the strike action? Yes and no. I’m 50/50 on it really.
“Junior doctors need to be recognised for what they do. I agree they need to be paid more for the hours they put in, but then I think if they’re striking they’re putting the public’s health at risk.
Sally Hove, 28, is currently pregnant with her second child.
She told us: “I happily support the doctors going on strike for the fantastic job they do and the unsocial and long hours they work to take care of us all and the safe delivery of our children.”
Not all participants were so supportive.
Read: Industrial action ‘necessity, not choice’ say Salford junior doctors
Builder John Paul Jones, 50, commented: “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think they should strike.
“Simply because people’s lives are at risk.
“The reason they are striking is because they do not agree with the proposal that was put forward by their own union.
“I looked up this morning what they’re earning and it’s comparable to what an officer gets in the Army, so it’s not like they’re on bad money.
“Yeah, maybe there is an issue with their hours but I think they can get around that by talking instead of striking. But they’re refusing to talk.”
The average salary for junior doctors starts at £22,636 in their first ‘foundation’ year. This can be boosted to around £30,000 with another four years of training.
Read: Salford source fears junior doctors ‘exodus’ if contracts pushed through
Accounting executive Suzie Moore told us she had concerns that the strikes were taking place in the colder months of the year, when seasonal illnesses take hold.
She said: “Going into winter, with winter sickness bugs and other illnesses, I think the strikes will be a strain.
“But I still support the strikes, I have family and friends in the medical profession and I support their position.
“And especially considering all the long hours which junior doctors work, they deserve it”.
More vehement were retired couple David and Margaret, 72 and 71.
David said: “We aren’t impressed with it but what can one do?
“I mean, the government have got their guidelines and we have got ours.
“We are pensioners, so we are more liable than anyone to need care.
Margaret added: “And we have paid our fair share.”
David continued: “We have paid in for a long, long time.
“So that’s the bottom line, I can see there point but, winter also will be a critical period.”
Retired Chris Clayton, 59, had just dropped off his mother-in-law for an appointment at Salford Royal.
He commented: “The government don’t look after the junior doctors enough.
“Who will take over from the older generation of doctors?
“I’m nearly 60, who would take over from somebody my age when they’re retired?
“So I think they should look after the junior doctors better.”
“So far, we haven’t been affected, but I’m not sure about what could happen in the future”.
The only female nurse who we approached on Eccles New Road told us she “wasn’t allowed to say” what she really thought.
Darren Warburton, 55, stepped in to say: “They deserve every penny that they get. The job that they do, they’re overworked and underpaid.
Phil Cadogan, 61, told us he was hoping to start as a Medical Assistant on Monday.
“I support [strike action] until that Health Minister sorts this mess out.
He [Jeremy Hunt] is causing more conflict with the way he is acting, that’s why they’ve left him in the job to sort it out.
Zak: is there anyone you know who will be affected by the proposed strikes?
Phil: Well I’ve just come out of the weight-managment clinic, the diabetes clinic. But I don’t have anything coming up so I don’t imagine I’ll be affected.
Junior doctors in Salford and UK-wide will stage a total of 20 days of strikes between now and Christmas.
The British Medical Association is locked in a bitter battle with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over the forced imposition of new contracts which will see junior doctors working longer hours and at weekends.
The union has now confirmed the first of four strikes will start in September.
Junior doctors will stage a full withdrawal of labour for five days each time over four weeks: between 8am and 5pm from 12-16 September; 5, 6 and 7 October (weekend covered) and then 10-11 October; 14-18 November; and 5-9 December.
Support in the past has been strong in Salford for the junior doctors’ plight.
Prime Minister Theresa May has accused junior doctors of ‘playing politics’ with patient safety as she made her first statement on the dispute.
Mrs May said: “The Government is putting patients first, the BMA should be putting patients first – not playing politics.”
A source within the medical profession working locally told SalfordOnline.com: “It’s a really difficult situation.
“The priority for us all is to try to find a solution.
“In my experience, from conversations that I’ve had with my patients, they are generally supportive of the junior doctors.
“They acknowledge that the imposition of a contract isn’t ideal and feel that the government and the BMA needs to reopen negotiations.”
As the dispute rolls on there appears to be waning support from some medical bodies for the British Medical Association’s plans for four more walkouts between now and Christmas 2016.
A statement from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said: “We know there are genuine concerns about the contract and working arrangements, but we do not consider the proposed strikes are proportionate.
“Five days of strike action, particularly at such short notice, will cause real problems for patients, the service and the profession.”
Main image: Tom Rodgers
