New doctors' strike in England hospitals

Thousands of doctors in English hospitals began a four-day strike on Friday to demand improved wages in the face of ongoing high inflation in the country, marking another social movement within the National Health Service (NHS) that is already facing a crisis.

The "junior doctors" have intensified their protest over the past months, resulting in the postponement of thousands of medical appointments. Their last strike was in mid-July.

These doctors have lost 26% of their salary since 2008 when spending cuts were imposed as part of austerity policies, as stated by the British Medical Association, which is demanding a 35% salary increase.

The Conservative government opposes this, sticking to its "final" proposal presented last month for a 6% increase, along with a £1,250 sterling bonus.

As inflation affects purchasing power in the United Kingdom, nurses, doctors, and paramedics have joined the strikes.

Robert Lorenzo of the British Medical Association told Agence France-Presse on Friday, "Many colleagues are leaving for other countries or choosing other jobs because the salary is too low for practicing medicine."

The association added, "If we succeed in pushing for better salaries for doctors and making the NHS a better place to work, many of our conditions will improve as we will have fewer gaps to fill in the work schedule."

It continued, "The situation will improve for everyone, including patients."

Dr. Soumya Maniragan, who participated in the strike on Friday in front of a university hospital in London, said, "We go to work and sometimes don't know if there will be a full team with us or if there will be a shortage. Simply put, these conditions are no longer sustainable."

According to NHS figures, 835,000 medical appointments have been postponed due to various strikes since the end of 2022.

With the current strike, the number is expected to exceed one million appointments.

7.6 million people are waiting for their turn to receive treatment in England, a record number despite promises from Chancellor Rishi Sunak's government to improve the situation.

UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay considered the strike "only damaging to patients" and "increasing pressure" on non-striking staff.

Julian Hartley, an official at the NHS, told the BBC, "So far, we estimate the cost of the strikes to be a billion pounds" (£1.15 billion euros), explaining that the institution will have to pay "bonuses to consultants to cover the absence of striking doctors."



AFP