For my friends and acquintances who reside in the U.K. “strike” is no longer an unheard word recently. It appears that the entire country is on strike; from postmen, to railway workers, from nurses to ambulance workers. Today, I found out that even the teachers are also on strike starting next Wednesday.
These aren’t the only people on strike. There are other unions and professions balloting to go on strike for fair and equal pay, including doctors. Doctors are demanding to have their pay restored (not “raised”) and does not want to work with the NHS pay review bodies (who have done absolutely nothing but undermine every healthcare workers’ pay).
BBC recently interviewed BMA regarding this and the interview really made my blood boil. First of all, majority of doctors aren’t really great at being interviewed; we’re more of an interviewer really. The BMA rep was basically bombarded with rethorical questions such as ‘do you think increasing doctors’ pay by 30% is truly the priority right now? Given the state of the NHS at the moment and the issues with nurses and ambulance poor pay?’
The interview made doctors look unreasonable in trying to request for a fair pay for the amount of work and responsibilities placed upon us. Because NHS is crumbling, because nurses are paid significantly lesser than doctors: we should also be paid poorly?
Let me break down the statement above to you while we are being paid £16 an hour:
P/s: disclaimer: anything below is my personal view and does not represent any other doctors in the NHS.
1. NHS clinical service is currently kept afloat on doctors’ conscience
Despite having our pay rise significantly cut below inflation value— despite our salaries being so low that half of us could not afford mortgages, we STILL continue to work for the NHS and give it our all.
This means over time – with no extra pay. Of course a system has been in place back in Jeremy Hunt’s era for doctors to claim back extra hours but this system is so very flawed. The specific department would have to fork out the money (not the trust or management) and the clinical director would have to carry out a meeting with the specified doctor. Instead of being paid, we’re advised to improve our time management, to take extra breaks (eventhough it’s impossible). Lastly they would try to offer us a few hours off during next working hours— which will not happen because our bleeps will be bleeping like a hungry baby pigeon.
“Many other jobs also have unpaid hours especially artist’s and those in marketing. What makes doctors special?”
Nothing makes doctors special. You’re right. But the difference between those jobs and a doctor is that you have to do those unpaid hours to keep your job. But a doctor don’t.
We aren’t paid enough to do overtime. But we still do it, because if we don’t who will? In the end, it is not our employer who suffers but patients. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we doctors just don’t have the heart to do so. It is why we became doctors – – – to help those in need.
Can you imagine a world where the doctor clocks out at 6pm sharp despite the patient bleeding to death?
The government is taking advantage of our traits, commitment and hippocratic oath!
2. Being a doctor means dedicating your entire life to the public
When you start medical school, it is a sign up for a massive commitment. Your entire life would be about medicine. While my non medics friends are hanging out, I had to constantly refuse because we have SO MANY EXAMS. I studied insanely hard to graduate with honours. But it wasn’t just that.
After graduating we are to carry out housemanship where second phase of intense training begin. While in medical school you’re learning, during our housemanship we are to work, while working, while bracing ourselves to carry out clinical procedure that we likely have not done on real patients before.
We are to keep a portfolio every year to ensure we are STILL competent to be a doctor. The portfolio is a pain in the ass. Some specialties require so many entries that we have to literally spend hours weekly to update it at home.
You also don’t automatically progress up the ladder. It all depends on whether there are training spaces (very competitive). And after you get a spot, you need to (again) carry out your portfolio well, compete with your colleagues to complete certain rare procedures, while carrying out daily duties caring for your patients.
Can I also remind you that we have major exams to pass as well to progress? These are much harder than medical school finals and cost us a couple of grant each time! Even after ending up as a consultant or a full fledge GP, we are required to continue our education on our own.
3. You will be spending A LOT to keep your job as a doctor.
Now I know that every job has their own cost but we are required to pay Gmc (medical Council), Bma (Union) , MDU/MPs (defence union) every year as well as membership fee for our respective specialty. This would often cost £2k-4k depending on your rank.
As you progress you might have to start purchasing extra medical equipments for yourself, and paying £2-3k for your exams. Of course if for unfortunate reasons you did not pass your exams, you have to pay again to retake them.
4. Okay so training while working, portfolio, is that it? NO.
You’re required every year to carry out an audit or quality improvement project outside of your working hours. These are obviously unpaid, but if you don’t carry them out, the NHS will not improve and it’s service will not be adequately evaluated.
Why we are not paid for audits is beyond me, but it’s a mandatory part of our training.
Besides trying to carry out live saving duties in the day, we are also required to teach and guide medical students that are posted in the hospital. Sometimes it’s so hard to find extra time to listen to their clinical history and plans, we have to skip lunch or go home late….
5. We are responsible for nearly everything.
The moment you graduate and work as a first year doctor, EVERYONE will look at you for help. Despite phlebotomist having 8-10 years of taking blood, despite nurses having over 2 years of experience on every procedure, if they fail they will look for the doctor.
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first day of being a doctor— EVERYONE WILL BE DEPENDING ON YOU.
Who deals with patient complaints? Doctors.
Who deliver bad news if patient died? Doctors. (even if its not the doctor who found the person)
6. Whether doctors should be altruistic or not, we still have family to feed and bills to pay.
One of the most ridiculous argument I have heard is that doctors should be altruistic, and not “money minded” as they knew they need to be—- in order to be a doctor. And if they can’t, they should leave the field.
I am gobsmacked at the comment. Let’s be honest, no matter how much you love your job, you need to be paid adequately for your effort RIGHT? How more altruistic should we be— after literally keeping the NHS alive on declining salary? When is enough, enough?
You cannot have a kind and caring doctor and pay them breadcrumbs
Despite the difficulty of the job, we remain doctors because we care. If we aren’t caring, we really won’t remain in this demanding job.
7. Not every doctors are middle-upper spoilt brat.
I commonly hear general public commenting that doctors are all from middle class peeps who had never suffered or go through difficulties. Always financially dependant on parents and have their head above the clouds about how much they should be earning.
I will be 100% honest with you: my parents aren’t from middle class and my father sacrificed A LOT to make me a doctor so I could have a better financial security and future. I did have partial scholarship for my outstanding academic results which helped, but I also worked parttime after my study hours for my bills and expenditures.
Bottom line, one of the reason I worked so hard to be a doctor is to improve the financial situation of my family. I did not become a doctor to be paid £16 per hour.
8. Every job has its own occupational hazard. Doctors aren’t excluded.
You may think that every healthcare workers have similar occupational hazard: but the risk isn’t similar. Logically speaking nurses and doctors are at highest risk of any form of infectious hazard
I have experienced many times where other healthcare workers refusing to take bloods from HIV positive or TB positive patients and lie that they have tried – – – can’t get it, so who’s responsibility is it? Doctors.
Pandemic isn’t even over yet and everyone has forgotten the amount of doctors and nurses who had passed away from COVID-19.
Because most of the needle works are carried out by doctors (and some amazing nurses), risk of needlestick injuries and contracting possible HIV and hepatitis B is higher than other careworkers.
9. PTSD is just another occupational hazard
Many doctors are hesitant to admit any form of mental health issues relating to their job, especially PTSD but it is the white elephant in the occupation.
It is there, it is a massive problem. But nobody ever talk about it.
It’s really not easy watch people die as a daily part of the job: especially when you’ve been treating the patient for months (or years as a GP). What’s worse is the keep calm trying to deliver the news to wailing families.
Some doctors are extremely careful or defensive wuen it comes to certain conditions— sometimes to a level of being unreasonably careful. We call this defensive practice. Yes it’s usually caused by fear of legal repercussions BUT no one talk about PTSD being one of the reason why.
10. The morale amongst NHS doctors are all time low.
After the revamp of junior doctor contract in 2016 by Jeremy Hunt, the morale amongst doctor has gradually drop over the years.
From enthusiastically working overtime to care for patient’s needs— now most of us felt like ‘we not paid enough to care’.
Poor salary equates to poorer financial status, causing more doctors to take up extra locum shifts to earn extra cash. Not only it impacts doctor’s work life balance, family life, but also physical and mental health.
This then eventually lead to mental health crisis, or just general physical health deterioration. Doctors have been taking more sick leave than before.
If you truly want NHS to survive, you need to pay all health workers the pay they deserve, including doctors.
But that is the irony. Because it’s clear that the Tories does not want NHS to survive. Now they successfully Brexit, they no longer need to follow EU healthcare system of having equal access of healthcare; and they can privatise NHS like other ‘free countries’.
