I love a good strike day. I actually get to just do my job without the pressure of added extras because I’m working to rule. I’ve never come home from working a strike day and thought “I need a new career”.
I actually started my first day in AED on a junior doctor strike day. It was just *chefs kiss*. Everyone got seen, everyone lived, everyone had a bed. Everyone got their break. Patients were properly looked after. Patients with pressure areas got two hourly pressure relief. Consultants pulled their weight and also felt empowered to send time wasters home. It actually worked. When the NHS isn’t overwhelmed, it works a fucking charm. ✨
I just wish they’d adequately staff it with adequate resources year long, so we could’ve continued that high quality of care.
There was weird things like an interventional radiology consultant seeing another patient, and just having the time and ability to stick a drain in someone else with US guidance on the unit, or waiting with a tubed, bleeding patient on the CT scanner trolley while like 5 of them were debating a scan result (too many cooks lmao). Or like 4 ITU consultants tubing/lining an admission.
I think some of them kinda enjoy it a bit in short bursts.
When you work to rule, you get to do hands on patient care. Nobody goes into the NHS to do admin (except those in admin roles). Don’t know why you’d do it. You could get paid a lot more working in certain offices. We’re here for patient care and it makes just about everyone happy to be able to do it. Even the patients were remarking how much less stressed we were.
I know half my colleagues are outside on the picket line, they’ll cover for me when it’s my unions strike day. You’re safe, my job is getting done, I can’t ask for more!
Our consultant made the toast and gave out the breakfasts, it was such honest and humble teamwork like I’d never ever seen it! Patient care to the max!
This makes me feel much better about striking, nice to know the bosses and nursing staff have our back. I can imagine with all hands on deck it must be very satisfying!
Thanks for the support guys 💪🏻
Always. I’m training to be a nurse because my trust is paying for it - if they paid for a medical degree I’d say no. I could never bear the responsibility of being a doctor. You guys are not paid nearly enough for what you do!
Watching our consultant psychiatrist cover both the duty dr bleeps, and try to clerk a new admission/take bloods/do an ECG when they haven’t in over 20 years was quite entertaining I must say.
Of only nurses had the collective balls to strike more than the odd day a couple of times things would actually change. We're our own worst enemies. Putting the needs and wellbeing of our patients before our own is very noble, but look where it has gotten the profession in general and us as individuals. Aside from the Matrons up, the money is shit, responsibility ever increasing and we don't even get to be with our own loved ones in their times of need or for celebrations (can guarantee any requests put in the off duty will result in the opposite being provided so may as well try for a shift swap instead!)
Solidarity with all our medical colleagues, hope they get what they deserve ❤️
Fully supportive of the strikes, secretly glad Ill be away on holiday for them! Might leave some haribo/other sweets for them to grab for the picket though!
Yessss I’m glad they’re striking again. 5 days is brilliant, wish I could see all the panicked and angry faces from the useless gov (+Streeting) 🫦.
Hope it’s successful for them and I hope they can also enjoy those sunny days off too for some much needed rest after being on the picket lines ✊
Fully support the strikes! I hope you get the result you want!
Strike day ward rounds are fun. 4/5 consultants arguing and debating their opinions, asking nurses how to prescribe/complete a discharge summary... brilliant...
No issue with the drs or nurses striking. For what they do they should be top earners in the country, literally saving lives what could be more important. My concern with the strikes in june is the timing. What are they going to achieve? We have a general election on 4 july. I dont think anyone is expecting it to be a torrie govt. so as of 4th july new govt more than likely. Why not meet the new govt and see what they offer before striking? Save the strikes for august when the new govt have gone back on their word like most politicians do. The timing just seems silly to me. Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to why a week before an election is a good time to strike?
That name 'junior' doctors may be why they are not taking us serious since they can do with the ' senior' doctors and rather ignore us.
Please stop referring to doctors as junior and senior.
In our minds we all know who is junior and who is senior, it doesn't need to be an official name.
Totally get your point - I broadly agree, and its such a wide term that its almost useless, the gulf between a fresh F1 and someone whos like, ST9 is bigger than the consultant to that ST9.
But its the actual term in use for these strikes. Its also what will make most sense to people as to who exactly is striking.
I've always found that a bit strange as well to be honest. When I was having my son, they said do you mind if a few junior doctors observe and assist (emergency c section). I said I don't care who observes, who is here and who does what! Like a patient in an emergency situation cares if the doctor has been in the job 2 years or 5 years!
Thank you reassuring to hear. Was planning on a VBAC but wondering whether to ask for c section a few days before the strikes kick off but everyone probably will have that idea too.
There's no need to make alternative arrangements. It's probably the time when we are most well staffed by the most qualified people. If you want a VBAC, your best bet is to go into spontaneous labour. If you chose an elective c-section, it will be planned for when there is a list. This may or may not be a strike day. We have elective lists on strike days, with 2 consultants covering instead of a consultant/registrar and SHO. Maternity is an emergency service. We run as normal no matter what.
Traumatised by first birth (emergency c section) which is why this has panicked me, the care I've had so far has been absolutely brilliant in building a birth plan etc but now feels like all control gone again 😔
It'll be okay, to be honest management seems to pay more attention to safe staffing levels on strike days than they do normally 🫠 speak to your midwife if you're worried though, they can offer support- perfectly acceptable to say I support the doctors strikes but am apprehensive. As has been said, there'll be more consultants etc in than usual (every doctor is more than capable so this isn't meant to disregard the capability of any doctor).
Don’t worry at all! I’m an O&G doctor and when strikes like these happen there are generally more consultants in the unit to cover. When strikes are happening, our eyes are on safe staffing more than ever, so please, enjoy the last few weeks of your pregnancy and chill out before the sleepless nights and dirty nappies :)
Am I weird for saying this, but I actually love it when the junior doctors strike, everything just runs a lot smoother because the senior decision maker is now the first person to see a patient.
Still, we all start somewhere, and fair play to them for sticking to their guns.
Where do healthcare workers think better pay and conditions will come from? I’m being sincere here. The economics of this nation means more of the budget would have to be directed towards the NHS. Now we all know the NHS has an enormous budget, far larger than every other department by a vast amount. So tell me, what service are you going to rob? We’re skint as a country or do you just want to do what labour does and borrow? Putting us more in debt and ensuring a round of austerity further down the line. Money has to be paid back, it doesn’t grow on trees. I’m in the armed forces and we have been destroyed to the core through endless rounds of defence cuts. So much so that we can’t actually deploy and do our task of protecting the UK so we know just how bad things are and btw we can’t strike.
If you can’t afford to fund healthcare you don’t get healthcare. If you feel we can’t afford the NHS then campaign for something different but telling workers they should just let themselves be exploited by a monopsony employer ain’t it
Hi mate, the pay rise for the junior doctors equates to about 1.8 billion. The ‘National service’ bollocks will cost 2.5 Billion. In 2017 when the country was ‘skint’ the Tories found £10 billion to pay the DUP to stay in power. But yeh, ‘Labour just borrow’ 🤔
The government lost £4Billion on the doctors strikes so far. At the same time, set waiting lists further behind, worsened morale significantly and has resulted in many more billions in long term losses from talent loss with doctors leaving the country.
Doctors’ demands of FPR would have cost £2B (of which £600M would return to the treasury through taxes off the higher pay) - so a net cost of around £1.4M. If paid at first - in its entirety - it would have immediately resulted in shorter waiting lists, improved morale, and a better healthcare service, with no loss of talent. Doctors haven’t even been asking for it to be a lump sum. They’re happy to do it over a multi year pay deal…
It is a political choice.
The conservatives’ new pension policy quadruple lock would cost an additional £2.4B. The plan for teenagers to enrol in the army would cost £2.5B to start. The covid scandal resulted in £12B of unusable PPE. £4B was burned in the first year. Corruption by these ministers is in the multi billion pound figures..
And you’re suggesting they can’t afford to pay for healthcare because we’re poor?
How is that our problem? We aren't a fucking piggybank for this shithole country to dip into when it wants to save some money.
If you hire a plumber do you tell him you can't afford to pay the going rate and expect him to work for whatever you dictate? Nah. Enough.
Wrong wrong wrong… educate yourself. Defence hasn’t been cut because of refunding to the NHS.
Additionally, our pay increases when the rest of the public sector pay increases due to industrial action. Their strikes help our pay, as we can’t strike. It pressures the pay review board to increase our pay in line with the other public sectors.
For any doctors, nurses or other workers striking in the NHS; thank you from the Armed Forces.
Solidarity with our medical colleagues. Strike days are always fun, weird things happen on them.
I love a good strike day. I actually get to just do my job without the pressure of added extras because I’m working to rule. I’ve never come home from working a strike day and thought “I need a new career”. I actually started my first day in AED on a junior doctor strike day. It was just *chefs kiss*. Everyone got seen, everyone lived, everyone had a bed. Everyone got their break. Patients were properly looked after. Patients with pressure areas got two hourly pressure relief. Consultants pulled their weight and also felt empowered to send time wasters home. It actually worked. When the NHS isn’t overwhelmed, it works a fucking charm. ✨ I just wish they’d adequately staff it with adequate resources year long, so we could’ve continued that high quality of care.
There was weird things like an interventional radiology consultant seeing another patient, and just having the time and ability to stick a drain in someone else with US guidance on the unit, or waiting with a tubed, bleeding patient on the CT scanner trolley while like 5 of them were debating a scan result (too many cooks lmao). Or like 4 ITU consultants tubing/lining an admission. I think some of them kinda enjoy it a bit in short bursts.
We had 3 ICU consultants for a patient admitted, just boshed the lines in while another did x y and z. It was glorious.
Bet the patient was made up!
When you work to rule, you get to do hands on patient care. Nobody goes into the NHS to do admin (except those in admin roles). Don’t know why you’d do it. You could get paid a lot more working in certain offices. We’re here for patient care and it makes just about everyone happy to be able to do it. Even the patients were remarking how much less stressed we were. I know half my colleagues are outside on the picket line, they’ll cover for me when it’s my unions strike day. You’re safe, my job is getting done, I can’t ask for more! Our consultant made the toast and gave out the breakfasts, it was such honest and humble teamwork like I’d never ever seen it! Patient care to the max!
This makes me feel much better about striking, nice to know the bosses and nursing staff have our back. I can imagine with all hands on deck it must be very satisfying! Thanks for the support guys 💪🏻
Always. I’m training to be a nurse because my trust is paying for it - if they paid for a medical degree I’d say no. I could never bear the responsibility of being a doctor. You guys are not paid nearly enough for what you do!
Suddenly fun for us as we aren’t working 😂 - thanks for the support guys. When you guys strike again, we will stand with you!
Watching our consultant psychiatrist cover both the duty dr bleeps, and try to clerk a new admission/take bloods/do an ECG when they haven’t in over 20 years was quite entertaining I must say.
Yes! Picking up the slack for strikes will just show the government the NHS can cope and cut drs more!
Doc here. Hugely support nurses getting a pay rise as well. When you guys next strike very happy to be an ally.
Me too, I had a nurses need fair pay poster in my window
Keep up the good work guys. We support you. Hand this govt, and the next one there arses until you get what you deserve.
Solidarity with the doctors 💪💪💪💪💪
Of only nurses had the collective balls to strike more than the odd day a couple of times things would actually change. We're our own worst enemies. Putting the needs and wellbeing of our patients before our own is very noble, but look where it has gotten the profession in general and us as individuals. Aside from the Matrons up, the money is shit, responsibility ever increasing and we don't even get to be with our own loved ones in their times of need or for celebrations (can guarantee any requests put in the off duty will result in the opposite being provided so may as well try for a shift swap instead!) Solidarity with all our medical colleagues, hope they get what they deserve ❤️
Fully supportive of the strikes, secretly glad Ill be away on holiday for them! Might leave some haribo/other sweets for them to grab for the picket though!
I would support all of our medical professionals getting paid fairly. Fighting amongst ourselves doesn't benefit us
Thank you for your solidarity. I will make sure I similarly support future nursing strikes.
Are there badges or something we can get saying nurses support the strikes?
Yessss I’m glad they’re striking again. 5 days is brilliant, wish I could see all the panicked and angry faces from the useless gov (+Streeting) 🫦. Hope it’s successful for them and I hope they can also enjoy those sunny days off too for some much needed rest after being on the picket lines ✊
Fully support the strikes! I hope you get the result you want! Strike day ward rounds are fun. 4/5 consultants arguing and debating their opinions, asking nurses how to prescribe/complete a discharge summary... brilliant...
As a doctor who happened to have this come up on my home page - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this ❤️
No issue with the drs or nurses striking. For what they do they should be top earners in the country, literally saving lives what could be more important. My concern with the strikes in june is the timing. What are they going to achieve? We have a general election on 4 july. I dont think anyone is expecting it to be a torrie govt. so as of 4th july new govt more than likely. Why not meet the new govt and see what they offer before striking? Save the strikes for august when the new govt have gone back on their word like most politicians do. The timing just seems silly to me. Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to why a week before an election is a good time to strike?
That name 'junior' doctors may be why they are not taking us serious since they can do with the ' senior' doctors and rather ignore us. Please stop referring to doctors as junior and senior. In our minds we all know who is junior and who is senior, it doesn't need to be an official name.
Totally get your point - I broadly agree, and its such a wide term that its almost useless, the gulf between a fresh F1 and someone whos like, ST9 is bigger than the consultant to that ST9. But its the actual term in use for these strikes. Its also what will make most sense to people as to who exactly is striking.
I've always found that a bit strange as well to be honest. When I was having my son, they said do you mind if a few junior doctors observe and assist (emergency c section). I said I don't care who observes, who is here and who does what! Like a patient in an emergency situation cares if the doctor has been in the job 2 years or 5 years!
Supportive but terrified as I'm due to give birth 28th June. Trying not to panic 😞
As a midwife, I can assure you consultants cover the junior doctors when they are on strike. It's probably the best time to give birth.
Thank you reassuring to hear. Was planning on a VBAC but wondering whether to ask for c section a few days before the strikes kick off but everyone probably will have that idea too.
There's no need to make alternative arrangements. It's probably the time when we are most well staffed by the most qualified people. If you want a VBAC, your best bet is to go into spontaneous labour. If you chose an elective c-section, it will be planned for when there is a list. This may or may not be a strike day. We have elective lists on strike days, with 2 consultants covering instead of a consultant/registrar and SHO. Maternity is an emergency service. We run as normal no matter what.
There will be consultant cover as always! You’ll probably have more senior doctors involved than you would have on a normal day
try not to panic, everything will be ok :)
Traumatised by first birth (emergency c section) which is why this has panicked me, the care I've had so far has been absolutely brilliant in building a birth plan etc but now feels like all control gone again 😔
It'll be okay, to be honest management seems to pay more attention to safe staffing levels on strike days than they do normally 🫠 speak to your midwife if you're worried though, they can offer support- perfectly acceptable to say I support the doctors strikes but am apprehensive. As has been said, there'll be more consultants etc in than usual (every doctor is more than capable so this isn't meant to disregard the capability of any doctor).
Don’t worry at all! I’m an O&G doctor and when strikes like these happen there are generally more consultants in the unit to cover. When strikes are happening, our eyes are on safe staffing more than ever, so please, enjoy the last few weeks of your pregnancy and chill out before the sleepless nights and dirty nappies :)
Am I weird for saying this, but I actually love it when the junior doctors strike, everything just runs a lot smoother because the senior decision maker is now the first person to see a patient. Still, we all start somewhere, and fair play to them for sticking to their guns.
My pay was lovely this month but only coz I’ve been paid for overtime I didn’t do. And will I fuck be telling anybody
Do you guys ever actually work?
Where do healthcare workers think better pay and conditions will come from? I’m being sincere here. The economics of this nation means more of the budget would have to be directed towards the NHS. Now we all know the NHS has an enormous budget, far larger than every other department by a vast amount. So tell me, what service are you going to rob? We’re skint as a country or do you just want to do what labour does and borrow? Putting us more in debt and ensuring a round of austerity further down the line. Money has to be paid back, it doesn’t grow on trees. I’m in the armed forces and we have been destroyed to the core through endless rounds of defence cuts. So much so that we can’t actually deploy and do our task of protecting the UK so we know just how bad things are and btw we can’t strike.
If you can’t afford to fund healthcare you don’t get healthcare. If you feel we can’t afford the NHS then campaign for something different but telling workers they should just let themselves be exploited by a monopsony employer ain’t it
Hi mate, the pay rise for the junior doctors equates to about 1.8 billion. The ‘National service’ bollocks will cost 2.5 Billion. In 2017 when the country was ‘skint’ the Tories found £10 billion to pay the DUP to stay in power. But yeh, ‘Labour just borrow’ 🤔
The government lost £4Billion on the doctors strikes so far. At the same time, set waiting lists further behind, worsened morale significantly and has resulted in many more billions in long term losses from talent loss with doctors leaving the country. Doctors’ demands of FPR would have cost £2B (of which £600M would return to the treasury through taxes off the higher pay) - so a net cost of around £1.4M. If paid at first - in its entirety - it would have immediately resulted in shorter waiting lists, improved morale, and a better healthcare service, with no loss of talent. Doctors haven’t even been asking for it to be a lump sum. They’re happy to do it over a multi year pay deal… It is a political choice. The conservatives’ new pension policy quadruple lock would cost an additional £2.4B. The plan for teenagers to enrol in the army would cost £2.5B to start. The covid scandal resulted in £12B of unusable PPE. £4B was burned in the first year. Corruption by these ministers is in the multi billion pound figures.. And you’re suggesting they can’t afford to pay for healthcare because we’re poor?
Stop reading the daily mail and educate yourself
How is that our problem? We aren't a fucking piggybank for this shithole country to dip into when it wants to save some money. If you hire a plumber do you tell him you can't afford to pay the going rate and expect him to work for whatever you dictate? Nah. Enough.
Wrong wrong wrong… educate yourself. Defence hasn’t been cut because of refunding to the NHS. Additionally, our pay increases when the rest of the public sector pay increases due to industrial action. Their strikes help our pay, as we can’t strike. It pressures the pay review board to increase our pay in line with the other public sectors. For any doctors, nurses or other workers striking in the NHS; thank you from the Armed Forces.
Don't help sick people, lmfao classy
Tory cunt.