'The system is falling apart': Patients and doctors speak out about the NHS strike
The longest strike by trainee doctors in the history of the NHS means that tens of thousands of patients in England have had their care canceled or rescheduled since last Wednesday.
The strike centers on a long-running pay dispute between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government. The latest strike, the tenth since March 2023, ends at 7am on Tuesday.
The BMA has pushed for trainee doctors to get a 35% pay rise, which they say would restore their earnings to 2008 levels after inflation. Ministers say that is unaffordable.
Here, doctors, patients and public sector workers share what they think of the unprecedented strike action.
A non-striking NHS worker
“I support the strikes. I have seen firsthand how busy a doctor's shift can be on a daily basis. They are often held responsible when things go wrong, and deserve a raise for what they do and for the dedication and effort it takes to work in an underfunded, overburdened system that has been brought to its knees.
“My workload doubled when I worked in the Emergency Department during the previous strikes, but we all stuck together and everyone felt motivated to pick up extra shifts. Many of our advisors support the strikes. I don't think the government should save money on doctors' pay.”
Sasha, 24, a psychological well-being intern at a London hospital
A striking junior doctor
“I am dual training in intensive care and emergency medicine, the longest training route, and have been frozen on the middle class wage since 2018 – which now stands at £38,000 a year for at least the next two years. With two children in daycare and a mortgage, I spend my spare time doing locum shifts to make ends meet. My parents in Ireland constantly remind me how much higher my salary would be at home. The pressure on doctors with young families – many of us – is enormous.
“It is morally offensive to leave the emergency room during the peak winter when patients need us, but the system is falling apart. We need our doctors to have a reasonable standard of living and we need to retain staff. We are all so demoralized and under pressure, and financial constraints are a big part of that.
“I have confidence in my fellow consultants and in the emergency planning to keep patients safe.”
An anonymous junior doctor in their late 1930s from the southeast
A vulnerable patient with safety problems
“I am outraged by this strike. Everyone is worse off than before, and young doctors are no different. I understand that their wages have not kept up with inflation, but we all have to absorb this blow in this general economic situation. They have a good offer. I'm furious that they want so much. We cannot continue to produce money.
“I am very grateful for the help I have had from the NHS. I've had colon cancer and a quadruple (heart) bypass, and I'm still here. I'm not sure I would get the same treatment if something happened to me tomorrow. Because I have a heart condition, it is very concerning that there may be no help if I have a heart attack. The doctors in training should put vulnerable patients first, and they don't. I think they are selfish. Everyone has to play their role.”
Paul Cheale, 85, a retired meat wholesaler from Brentwood
A patient directly affected by the strike
“I have metastatic prostate cancer, which requires constant support. Sometimes I need emergency treatment. The doctors' strike could affect me at any time as I am in their hands, but I support it 100%. There is nothing that can be done about it, strikes always have a negative effect on people's lives. It shows how important the work is. What could happen to people is very bad, but it would be even worse if people stopped becoming doctors, or if more doctors moved abroad.
“I worry that the government is being deliberately obstructive because their ideology is that they want NHS patients to switch to private healthcare plans.”
Dave, 70, from Rainhill, Merseyside
A senior doctor, anti-strike
“I think the strikes are militant and dangerous, both the junior doctor and the consultant are on strike. I have no doubt that this action will cause significant harm to patients. The timing, duration and lack of deviations make me wonder if this is a breach of the GMC (General Medical Council) good medical practice guidelines.
“Patients have taken a massive hit from Covid in terms of waiting lists, and I don't think it is acceptable to put more pressure on the system for a pay rise at this time.
“Doctors are paid well. We have enviable pensions, job security and, until recently, public respect. Who has ever gotten a 35% pay increase in the public sector? Asking so much in this economic climate is ridiculous and makes doctors seem greedy and naive. Many doctors are strongly opposed to the strikes.
“I think that doctors mainly want better working conditions, and that paying more will not help. I now routinely work 14 or 15 hour shifts without a break because I have administrative work to do. There is only a certain amount of money and giving that much of it to doctors will only frustrate other lower paid NHS workers who should be there to allow doctors to do what they are trained to do. You're just robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
Jane, a hospital consultant from Sheffield
A senior doctor, pro-strike
“Until last year I was a junior doctor. I graduated in 2009 and wasn't paid particularly well at the time, but was able to afford bills and the occasional meal. 35% sounds like a lot, but it all depends on the context.
“Today, trainee doctors earn around 30% less in real terms than I do, for a job that is generally more difficult now than it was then, when the system was much better funded and less busy. They also have an average debt of £80-100,000 when leaving university, with tuition fees having tripled since I qualified and living costs higher. It is difficult because many public sector workers are in a similar position, but ultimately the work is hard and there are not enough juniors – time to at least pay them what I was worth 15 years ago.
“I will be working a few extra nights this week and have not seen any unsafe levels of care yet. But it is a busy time of year and I am concerned that waiting times will increase due to this strike.”
Andy, a 40-year-old consultant cardiologist
An employee in the public sector
“I support the strike, but I do not support a request for 35 percent as a basis for continued dangerous action. As a teacher, I completely understand wage erosion. I have sisters who are nurses and midwives and they have been through it too. Junior doctors know they will soon be on their way to a very lucrative career. Holding on to 35% makes it impossible to end these strikes. If nurses and teachers can accept lower pay than they were looking for, then these doctors should too.
“I am concerned about the effect on waiting times and, crucially, on cancer care, and the pressure this puts on nurses. I cannot support such a harsh standoff. I think they are losing public support with this strike. 20% would be a good starting point and would still far outweigh the pay increases the rest of us as public servants had to endure.”
An anonymous 50-year-old teacher from Cambridge