On 20th July, Consultants organised in the BMA became the latest group of NHS workers to join the strike wave. Like other NHS workers they have seen a big decline in real terms pay over the last fifteen years which the current high rate of inflation is compounding.
Iain Dalton, Leeds Socialist Party
Many consultants were shocked it had come to them being on a picket line, but felt they had no choice. As Tracy Jackson, consultant gynaecologist at St James hospital and picket supervisor today at LGI told us “I’ve been a doctor’s for 35 years and I’m sad it’s come to this. For me this not even mainly about pay, it’s about the future of the NHS”
This sentiment was echoed by many other strikers on the picket line who were concerned about growing numbers of colleagues been lured into the private sector, drug companies or abroad by the offer of much better pay, whilst also concerned about junior doctors starting on an effective rate of £14 an hour.
This is why the strikes in the health service are continuing despite the government’s imposition of pay offer, the future of the NHS depends on ensuring health workers are retained through being paid greatly for their work as well as kicking out the private profiteers from our health service, as well as drawing on the experience all NHS workers as part of running the NHS inner democratic control by elected representatives of health workers and service users.