#juniordoctors their strike for us

It is a shitty society we live in. The good and the decent - the hardworkers - the diligent,  the carers, the concerned are so often misrepresented and abused by the strong, the selfish and the callous.

I am following the junior doctors dispute. It has been a vile day to behold. There has been so much bigotry, so much manipulative behaviour, so much ignorance on display. There has been so much shallow, sensationalist reporting. Generally our media serve us so badly. It is sickening and shaming.

Junior Doctors are exemplary people. They are some of the most skilled, hardest working and caring, decent young people in our society. They already work very hard - brutally hard in some instances and have tremendous responsibilities - often the ultimate responsibility. Some in our society are treating them like dirt. They are being forced to do even more when they already do so much.

Here are some of the lies and misrepresentation pedalled by Jeremy Hunt and the Government today to try to dupe the public and get them on the government side.

• Not all junior doctors came out on strike today. The reason - they were acting responsibly and offering agreed emergency cover to protect the public. Instead of acknowledging this Hunt has tried to imply there is a split in their ranks.
• Doctors do not understand how fair and good the Government offer is. They claim the BMA are misleading their own doctor members. The reality is these bright and intelligent young people fully understand what the government offer is and particularly its negative implications for patient safety and their careers.
• That doctors are politically motivated and want to bring down the government! (ridiculous) 
• Sandwell was a shocking and immoral attempt to undermine the doctors legal strike action by pretending there was an emergency and claiming doctors ignored it. The BMA and junior doctors would have been there like a shot if there was a real emergency. It is wicked to pretend they would not be and lie to the public.
• The reality. The level of cover of today was as least as strong as on bank holidays, Christmas and Prince Williams wedding!
• Melanie Philips (Daily Mail) for instance, argued doctors should never strike because their role is a vocation - they have chosen to serve us - and by striking (and therefore being irresponsible) they are betraying us. Her implication is doctors should accept whatever is thrown at them because they have chosen to "care". The reality is doctors are striking because they have a vocational motivation. They are trying to protect the long-term interests of the NHS and the strikes are the only chance it seems of getting the Government to listen to their honest concerns in the interests of us all. The cost was 1 in 10 non emergency operations cancelled for 1 day!)
• Hunt keeps saying he wants a 24/7 NHS. It exists. Doctors already work nights and weekends. One of the problems is Hunt wants to pay them less for doing it.
• The Government claim they will be reducing the maximum hours doctors will have to work. Doctors already work incredible hours. They believe the new contract means they will be forced to work even more. Lorry drivers have tacographs - doctors don't. Junior doctors do not trust (from experience) undertakings that they will not be forced to work dangerously long hours unless there is a system in place that will offer them genuine safeguards. The government wants to water down those safeguards by removing compensation payments. It seems obvious to me that if doctors are not going to be exploited then then the government should have no worries about paying compensation!!
• Hunt keeps saying he wants to talk. He keeps saying the strike is unnecessary. Infact his strategy  is to try to demonise the doctors as greedy, self interested and unreasonable. He is using megaphone tactics. He is imposing on not listening to. Doctors only want to protect the NHS. Driving doctors into the ground and underpaying them for what for everyone else would be anti social hours is stupid and unfair. 

I urge the public to look more deeply into this dispute and do not swallow everything being pedalled by the powerful - particularly Jeremy Hunt - a snake if ever there was one. His death rate at weekend statistics are highly disputed by professionals.

Today we spoke to some young doctors on the picket line and in the rain. It was the last place these hardworking selfless people wanted to be. They had so much dignity. They were so modest. They offer us so much. Many many people recognise it. Certainly all their colleagues do - including nurses, paramedics, ambulance staff, support staff. They all are behind the doctors in their struggle. It was moving. Shame on Jeremy Hunt. He is a wicked man (or more generously deeply misguided). If he genuinely wants a quality health service he needs to learn to work with and respect his colleagues. I think in reality he is motivated by dreadful personal and narrow party (Conservative Party) interest and will do or say anything to prevail.

PS if the public allow this shameful bullying and exploitation of these vocational young people they deserve the consequences  - mistakes, errors and resignations because what they are being asked to take on is just too much and the lifestyle sacrifices being forced on them just too big to accept, however much they care.