THERE was a very lively picket line at UCL Hospital yesterday in London’s Euston Road, with over 40 junior doctors waving placards, chanting and singing, backed up by a sound system.
Jo Simpson, trainee anaesthetist said: ‘We are here because the pay and conditions of doctors and all of our hardworking NHS staff have been eroded continuously over the last 15 years.
‘Ultimately, we’ve been put past breaking point where the NHS is no longer working for patients. And it’s impossible to recruit and retain staff.
‘We are demanding fair pay for junior doctors and for all our deserving staff, who have given so much throughout the pandemic.
‘Staff are now forced to leave the profession they love.
‘The chronic underfunding of the NHS since the Tories came to power shows they don’t have an interest in providing high quality care to the people of Britain.
‘That’s why we think it is so important to make them take notice. 2019 was the watershed. If the NHS is to survive, either this government completely changes its approach or we get a new government which cares about the NHS.’
There was tremendous support from passing cars and buses.
Later in the morning, the Chairman of BMA Council Professor Banfield came to show support and made a brief speech.
He commented to News Line: ‘I am absolutely convinced that to ask for pay restoration is entirely reasonable. The NHS cannot afford to lose such talent abroad. This is a fight for the future of the profession, our patients and the NHS.
On the picket line yesterday at West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth, south west London, junior doctors called for a general strike.
Tom Browning told News Line: ‘The current conditions are unsafe for junior doctors and unsafe for patients and combined with a massive real-terms pay cut things are getting worse not better.
‘I’ve been qualified for eight years and things have got much worse in that short time – just look at the waiting times to see a GP and 12-hour waits in A&E.
‘The TUC should call a general strike to arrest the deterioration in conditions for all workers.’
Gill said: ‘I’ve been here every day and we’ve had constant support from the public with patients coming in and out saying they back our struggle.
‘This is a partisan issue. We all need an NHS. Barclay (Tory Health Secretary) has had months of warning about these strikes and he’s done nothing.
‘We support all the other strikes and they support us. We’ve had great support from the teachers and the NEU. I would support a general strike – all the workers together.’
Lavanya said: ‘I’ve been working for almost seven years and I’ve calculated that currently I’m doing an extra day of work every week free of charge because we can’t fit everything in that we need to do during our working hours. It’s just unsustainable and unsafe.’
At Whittington Hospital in Archway north London News Line spoke to anaesthetist Dr Joel Sugarman on a strongly supported picket line, also attended by Islington North Labour Party with their banner.
Dr Joel said: ‘I feel like morale is good. It’s fantastic to have the support of the public. It’s going well.’
Asked about Tuesday’s rally in Trafalgar Square, he said: ‘It’s lovely to have the support of the NEU. It’s a joint struggle.
‘I leave my union to the discussion of a general strike.
‘In an ideal world we could thrash this out at the negotiating table. I trust the BMA to do that.
‘The goals of this strike are very limited!’
At Homerton Hospital in east London Dr Jones from Unite who is a GP told News Line: ‘For all NHS staff including doctors, there’s an erosion of pay since 2010.
‘Staff have lost between 15% and 26% of pay and are working under terrible pressure.’
