6 Day Doctors Strike

Caught the tail end of a discussion about junior doctors strike just now.

They explained what a Physician Associate is. Someone with a Masters degree and 2 years training rather than the 6 years that Junior doctors do. It also said they are paid quite a bit more. Didn’t know that.

I have been waiting for a hospital appointment since June 2021. It has been cancelled 3 times already and since I am supposed to attend this weekend (special clinic to clear the backlog) it looks like this will be cancelled too.

Fed up with these doctors now.

So - Elderly advised to stay warm in cold weather".
Excellent advice.

I would add to that, if you are hungry, eat something and, if you are thirsty, it's advisable to drink something water based.

Thank heavens for the Health Experts who give such guidance.
Where would we be without them?

Time to change the title. I have had every sympathy for he junior doctors strike however ............. My patience is now wearing very thin indeed!!!

A barrister who is not a KC is known as a junior, no matter how many years they have been at the Bar. No different to the terminology used for doctors who are not consultants.

Casdon thanks for this.

ronib

Does anyone know what level doctors are who follow a consultant doing ward rounds? As part of the entourage? Are they still students who are yet to complete the five year program?

No, they are the consultant team. There would normally be a newly qualified doctor, a doctor with 2+ years of post qualification experience, and a senior doctor who is training for final exams before becoming a consultant. They don’t just follow the consultant around, they are there because they are caring for the patients clinical needs on a day to day basis, requesting tests and interpreting results as needed and they work together to piece together the full picture on the patient’s care. Students on clinical attachment are sometimes there as well, but they aren’t the team.

I agree about the label “Junior doctors”. It’s outdated and causes a whole load of misunderstanding, as evidenced on this thread.

It is time that the label junior doctors was abolished. I don't know why doctors put up with people thinking that a junior doctor must be inexperienced or fresh out of medical school. The term is disrespectful.
Just for comparison I Googled this.
How much does a newly qualified optician earn?
Salary: Competitive annual salary £45,000 + a generous performance bonus. Working hours: Full Time or Part Time. Full or part time hours.

ronib

Does anyone know what level doctors are who follow a consultant doing ward rounds? As part of the entourage? Are they still students who are yet to complete the five year program?

My only recent experience was a year ago. No, the doctors who followed consultants around weren't in their initial five years. They were specialty registrars, who were often responsible for follow-up appointments, but knew my history.

Does anyone know what level doctors are who follow a consultant doing ward rounds? As part of the entourage? Are they still students who are yet to complete the five year program?

Meanwhile in Scotland the SG and the Unions have agreed a settlement and there will be no strikes.

Pointless to discuss this, really. We've been over and over it before. 'Junior' doctors are not newly qualified or still in training. The term covers doctors at every level below that of Consultant.
All the doctors are asking is for their pay level to be restored to the level they were earning before Osborne got going with his unnecessary 'austerity' programme more than a decade ago. The government is refusing to restore those levels because it is still strongly opposed to spending on public services. It's a face-off between the two.
I'm on the side of the doctors, though I appreciate that it's not causing me or my family any pain or inconvenience, so it's easy to say. All the public employees who have been disgracefully underpaid since 2010 deserve better pay and I would support any of them if on strike.

Freya, you may think as you wish, but the present government espouses a market economy. In a market economy people are paid an appropriate amount and given good conditions of work to attract and retain staff. Are you ok with more and more doctors leaving to places with better pay and conditions? Who will you and I see, then, when we are sick? There's already a significant shortage of GPs and hospital doctors.

Errmm ... "newly qualified doctors " do have some clinical experience.

No, the current Gov has offered pay in line with the independent pay review body. BMA won't talk.
First year junior Dr now 32,300, how much should a new qualified Dr earn, no experience, and still having to be taught by colleagues.
The amount they are asking for is absolutely ridiculous.