Doctors contract

[Sue]

I support the Doctors to a large extent. It's a tough and can be very emotional job, but then so are many in the health service, social care services, and public services. When I worked on the path labs however I worked Saturday's, no extra money just part of my contract. I worked bank holidays on a rota, no extra money just part of my contract. I stayed late if someone was on the operating table and a result was needed..

Going into other work places. My future son in law works for a large chain supermarket. He always works Saturday in exchange for a fixed day off during the week, depending on his shift very anti social hours. No extra money just part of his contract. Often starting at 7 or finishing after 10. So eti es hardly seeing his family at the weekends and of course he is off work when my daughter is on work. Same in factories.

When doctors took up the profession they knew sickness is a 7 day a week problem so why has their rota and shifts never reflected this. Others work antisocial shifts without huge increase in pay, so why not doctors. I think they are holding the country and NHS to ransome. Start talking and remember everybody else and their working patterns. That is life. I am not against negotiation for a better deal all round , but be realistic and not stubborn...both sides of the debate

I am aware from statistics that only 49 % of doctors were on strike , only 69 % voted on strike action. This should be public knowledge too. As for public opinion, we can't give an informed opinion because few people as outsiders know the full details of the contract but it seems this weekend working is the stumbling block. Yes I know doctors work a 7 day week, I know good work is done and lives are saved, but the 7 days does not seem to be in a proper rota as part of the contract but appears to be as a result of over tired workers staying on late. I would prefer to see my doctors do a normal working day over a shift pattern of 7 days with appropriate time off on lieu.

Train more doctors seems to be the answer, but unless this sorted with common sense the ones we train will just leave.

The way to solve a problem us not to insult, provoke and incite but to be logical, reasonable , realistic and calm.

[Sue]

Oh yes, I don!t normally make political statements. I regard this as apolitical but more o e of common sense.

[Bruff]

Well I (we) support the Drs 100% in what they are doing, have done and will continue to do so despite my nearest and dearest having two consultations cancelled as a result so far.

The reason is very simple. This is what Hunt claims he wants to do. He says the new contract is needed to increase the number of doctors working over the weekend whilst maintaining the current level of cover over the weekdays and at the same time decreasing the number of hours junior Drs work overall. Usually when you get three things as a part of a whole that seems a bit overly-ambitious you are asked to pick any two (it’s the ‘you can have it right, on time, and to cost; pick any two’ scenario). Hunt has done the remarkable thing of making me realise you can pick only one! So I know he’s a liar with respect to the contract’s purpose, and know the Drs are right to raise serious concerns about patient safety (as well as their other concerns on their own physical and mental health and the equalities impact regarding female Drs).

The junior Drs resisting this have, and will always have, my wholehearted support.

Richard Broughton

[plaques]

just part of my contract

Surely this is the whole point. If you take a job where the contract to that job stipulates a certain working hour requirement for a given remuneration then that's you have agreed to. With due respect because this is now becoming more common place it doesn't make it right. We used to shove children up chimneys and work intolerably long hours but thankfully with the advent of Trade Unions and more enlightened employers it was recognised that the ordinary work had a right to decent conditions and a family life. What we are seeing now is the rapid erosion of working conditions that people fought for over years. Imposing a new contract by bullying is not the correct way of getting the best out of your workers. In the end the newly trained Doctors will simply vote with their feet and go where there is better remuneration and more satisfaction. I agree with Bruff that this charade of a contract change is a smokescreen for some other intended purpose.

[Sue]

I agree, I did say that at the end about solving the problem

[Stanley]

P is right, Hunt has another agenda, one that we have seen so many times before. Alter the contract in favour of the employers. Look what they have done to the teachers, reduced pay, worsened conditions and chipped away status. I too support the doctors 100%.

[Sue]

I know from first hand experience what they did to College lecturers which made us the worse paid in the educational sector with one of the highest workloads as well as losing a considerable amount of our annual holidays. But my point is mainly the strike action, I never like strikes, one was the contributing factor to the death of my grandfather. My point is stop calling each other and negotiate, and my second point is why do Drs works such long hours as a matter of routine and are not on normal rotas in a working week of 7 days with normal working hours.

I am saying they should work less hours but should like other similar jobs have days off during the week when weekends are worked. It's not always about pay.

Why not work to rule in a NORMAL working day

College lecturers were severely criticised for doing just that when it meant we could not get all the course work marking done ( everything I taught was continuous assessment ) because it became obvious we could not get through the work load. Not that it helped us that much but striking only alienated the public and did absolutely nothing.

[Tizer]

I can understand why doctors are aggrieved but striking lose sthem what little professionalism and respect they have left. It's already happened to teachers thanks to the NUT. In the 21st Century there are better ways of advancing an argument, promoting a cause and garnering public support.

[Stanley]

When groups of workers are pushed into a corner by intransigent management they react and often it isn't pretty. That doesn't invalidate the protest.

[Sue]

I agree Tiz.

[Tizer]

When groups of workers are pushed into a corner by intransigent management they react and often it isn't pretty. That doesn't invalidate the protest.

But we're talking about doctors, not dockers. Doctors who are well-paid and highly educated, with good communications skills, big professional networks and easy access to public relations people. Not down-trodden dockers, miners and shipbuilders.

[plaques]

The 2015 Conservative manifesto includes the following statement. " We will now go further, with hospitals properly staffed, so that the quality of care is the same every day of the week." A cynic may think this should come with the same warning as buying share investments. ' Investments may go down as well as up! ' Going on strike to force your point is really an option of the last resort. There are no winners when you use this nuclear option. We should remember that Jeremy Hunt is a senior minister in the Conservative government that we, the population, have democratically elected. The question should be asked, ' is he really acting in the public interest by walking away from the negotiating table? ' As far as this particular dispute goes Mr Hunt is clearly in the strongest position but the fallout will affect everyone who uses the NHS.

[Stanley]

Tiz, doctors or dockers, it makes no difference. There is always a point where they crack especially if all their 'reasoned' arguments have been ignored by an intransigent minister who 'knows he is right' and has an agenda.

[Stanley]

It looks as though Hunt is backing away from imposition and using a more insidious way of enforcing it by making it the responsibility of the foundation hospitals. Same result but by the back door. I keep telling you I don't trust this man.....

[Tizer]

A letter published in The Times on Saturday confirmed that the same old situation still pertains with the doctors' trade union, the BMA, restricting the numbers of people entering training for the medical profession. It's one thing the doctors and dockers do have in common!