Would you support the doctors' strike.

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/23/junior-doctors-strike-will-not-put-patients-at-risk-senior-medics-say

More on the junior doctors' side than Hunt's and Stevens'.

They appear to have forgotten that a lot of GP trainees were on strike as well, being junior doctors and members of the BMA.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/hot-topics/junior-doctor-contract/gp-practices-told-not-to-book-patient-appointments-for-junior-doctor-strike-days/20031625.article

Your quote was a link as well, Ana.
Did you read that? "told".

The crux of the matter is that (just as is happening with the teachers) government ministers do not listen to the professionals, but simply ride roughshod over them, determined to push through their ideas, even though they are being told very clearly that they are not practical on the ground. They persist in treating honest, dedicated and well-educated professionals like children.

It can only end badly. Young doctors will take themselves off elsewhere and then what happens to the 7 day a week service if there is no-one to man it? And the nuttiest bit is that a 7 day a week service has been there all the time - certainly since my OH qualified in about 1973.

I did read the link, actually.

Elsewhere, NHS England regional teams had urged practices not to pre-book appointments on the days of the strike to ensure there was capacity for extra patients.

So they weren't 'told'. I doubt many people who genuinely needed to be seen at an A&E Department would just make an appointment to see their GP.

I'm just glad everything appears to have gone smoothly - this time.

You didn't read the link, then, Ana?
What a surprise.
It's just a way of Hunt trying his divide and rule tactics. GPs were told not to book appointments on the days of the strike so that all the appointments would be available for people to ring up on the day, just like we used to be able to do.

Just turning up at the surgery, with a broken ankle or whatever?

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/hot-topics/junior-doctor-contract/jeremy-hunt-thanks-gps-for-ensuring-patient-safety-during-junior-doctor-strikes/20031731.article

Because people were going to GPs instead - you know, like we used to.

That’s interesting Lillie. Did your source say whether that was numerically fewer deaths or proportionally fewer? Knowing that is important for understanding the actual significance of the lower number.

People were advised to avoid hospitals during the strike so there may well have been fewer patients, in which case one would expect the number of deaths to be smaller too. However, if the proportion of deaths to hospital visits/stays was smaller than usual, then it very likely was because more experienced doctors were treating patients.

I know the figures probably wont even be published, but apparently FEWER patient deaths occurred during the strike than usual, due to consultants making the critical decisions, not junior doctors.

nhap.org/the-friday-surgery-7/

Interesting for anyone who has had tests for memory.
It seems like everyone can remember Cameron, or the one with the tax problem, so it skews the results.
So there's a Hunt effect and a Cameron effect to go with the weekend effect when the weekend lasts for four days.

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/28/equality-watchdog-warns-junior-doctors-contract-potentially-illegal

The contract might be illegal because of the way it affects female doctors.
I wonder why it's taken so long for this to come out?

Funny, clever but frightenly true, thanks Jen

youtu.be/uK7DRJx9nbU

Jeremy Hunt.

www.onmedica.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=36df52fd-5e74-44b5-ae0a-340896c42369

Why the GMB are going to ballot ambulance staff.
Hunt has broken his promises to them on pay and conditions.
The problem is that the government has already tried to privatise the ambulance services in various parts of the country, but it hasn't worked.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/27/jeremy-hunt-doesnt-understand-junior-doctors-book-dismantle-nhs

Written by Frankie Boyle. I do not like him, but I like this.

A clear explanation .jen

Ask the NHS, Ana.

i2.wp.com/voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/160426juniordoctorstrikeexplained.jpg?w=552

Jeremy Hunt's plan in pictures.

What's the Queen's birthday got to do with it?

On the Queen's birthday the NHS put out a statement about a new deal for GPs.
They have been promised 10% of NHS funds by 2020.
This is from the 8.6% they get now.
It means no new money, just a bigger share of the money that's there already.
As one GP said, if it had been a brilliant deal with new money, it would have been shouted from the rooftops.

The last strike, I was in hospital with my mother in law, who had fallen from a chair and had to have a scan to find out if there were any bones broken.
The hospital care was excellent. The waiting for the ambulance at both ends was over two hours. I read yesterday that the ambulance unions are balloting for a strike over their conditions.

nhap.org/can-we-cut-through-the-waffle-and-talk-sense-about-the-junior-doctors-says-dr-clive-peedell-leader-of-the-national-health-action-party/

Hunt keeps his job because he is willing to carry out the government's plan to demolish the NHS and take the flack .

I don't understand how Hunt keeps his job. It is the biggest mess ever seen in the NHS and yet he survives!

The harm lies with Hunt not the doctors

A senior Tory has said this is the same as the miners strike and I agree

quote from the hypocratic oath....."Also I will, according to my ability and judgment, prescribe a regimen for the health of the sick; but I will utterly reject harm and mischief",

isn't going out on strike causing 'harm and mischief' ?