Bristol junior doctors begin four-day strike over pay

Junior doctors in Bristol began a four day walkout on Tuesday as part of a national week of strike acton.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) held up placards calling for full pay restoration at Bristol Royal Infirmary on Tuesday morning as cars honked their horns in a show of support for the strikes.

The British Medical Association is asking for a 35 per cent pay rise to match the rate of inflation and make up for austerity pay cuts.

Dowan Kwon, who has been working as a junior doctor at the BRI for four years, became a BMA representative after taking part in the 2016 strikes, while he was still a medical student.

Dowan Kwon has been a junior doctor for four years – photo: Mia Vines Booth

“I’m striking so junior doctors can get a fair pay for what they’re worth,” he told Bristol24/7 at the BRI picket line.

“Since 2008, junior doctors have suffered a pay erosion of 26 per cent and we are asking for that pay erosion to be paid back so we actually get paid what we are worth.

“Because we are here all the time, we have to keep optimistic, but if I had to choose one word to describe the work environment, I would describe it as demoralising.

“The feeling is getting worse and worse and that is the general atmosphere among us all.”

The BMA hopes a pay increase will help recruitment and retention of staff, who it says are currently leaving the progression in droves.

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Read more: Junior doctors strike to demand fair pay

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“Waiting lists are getting longer, appointments aren’t being made, treatments are being delayed, there have been excess deaths and things are just getting worse,” said Dowan.

Health secretary, Steve Barclay, has accused organisers of timing the strike just after the Easter bank holiday, when the NHS faces increasing demand, “to maximise disruption”.

But junior doctors believe the government must begin to take responsibility for the NHS failings: “It’s on the government to fix this, and so far we haven’t seen the things that actually meet our expectations that make healthcare worthwhile,” said Dowan.

“It’s a big investment and a worthwhile one, yet the government has been ignoring the problem for a long time.

“My first four months in the NHS were some of the toughest times of my life. I’ve had to really harden my own feelings about how I feel at work so I can cope with what is in front of me, and some of the bad things that we are dealing with on a day to day basis.

“A lot of what I do now at work is apologising to patients and their families for not being able to do what we think is right. I just don’t think that’s fair. It’s not fair for the patients, it’s not fair for the families.

“It’s not fair for us as young professionals. Having been taught what is the best thing to do for patients and families and quite obviously knowing that we are not able to do these things is rough.”

Steve Barclay has said he hoped to begin formal pay negotiations with the BMA in March but said the demand for a 35 per cent pay rise was “unreasonable”.

Main photo: Mia Vines Booth

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