Are Consultants Selfish for Going on Strike? Fiery Clash Over Industrial Action

By

Feature Image

Summary:

  • Consultants in England are on a two-day strike over pay issues, with plans for more walkouts.
  • Dr. Amid Hankari emphasizes the need for fair pay that reflects the hard work and sacrifices of doctors.
  • The debate covers consultant earnings, economic context, patient impact, mental health care, and the NHS funding model.
  • Patrick O'Flynn highlights concerns about strikes undermining public support for the NHS.


Consultants in England have begun a two-day strike as part of their ongoing dispute with the Government over pay. The British Medical Association also announced plans for three more days of walkouts. Joining us to debate this, Patrick O'Flynn, a political commentator, and Dr. Amid Hankari, a consultant psychiatrist.



Demand for Fair Pay


Dr. Amid Hankari explains that the strike is not taken lightly and highlights the need for pay restoration that reflects the hard work, sacrifices, and years of training.



Doctor's Career Aspirations


Dr. Hankari reflects on his initial idealistic aspirations in medicine and acknowledges the cost of living crisis and financial responsibilities that doctors face.



Consultant Earnings


The debate delves into the earnings of consultants, with Steve Barclay citing average NHS earnings and generous tax changes for consultants. Patrick O'Flynn expresses his view that the demands might be perceived as greedy.



Economic Context and Patient Impact


The discussion expands to the economic context, referencing the challenges post-Covid. The potential impact of strikes on patient care is debated, with concerns about emergencies and life-threatening situations.



Passion for Mental Health Care


Dr. Hankari discusses the importance of valuing mental health care and narrowing the disparity of esteem. The need for more resources is emphasized.



Future of NHS Funding Model


Patrick O'Flynn suggests that despite challenges, the NHS funding model has advantages. He highlights potential risks of strikes undermining public support and discusses the possibility of a competitive system.



The debate raises crucial questions about the fairness of doctor's pay, the future of healthcare funding, and the potential consequences of strikes on patient care.

Location: London, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ukraine War: Is the defence of Bakhmut a distraction?

By
Image
Ukraine War: Is the defence of Bakhmut a distraction? I'm joined now by the former senior military intelligence officer, Philip Ingram. Good to see you again, Philip. Now, of course, Russian forces have made some advances in recent days in Bakhmut, but on the whole, there's been very little movement on the front line in recent weeks and months. Why is that? Yeah, well, exactly. Day 374 of Vladimir Putin's 10-day Special Military Operation. And the Russians, we keep talking about this spring offensive. They're probing the front lines in different places. Bakhmut will more detail that in a moment, but further north, up around Kramina and in the south, around Donetsk, they're trying to see where their weakness is in the Ukrainian defences. And they're not really finding any. The things that are influencing at the moment, the weather, the ground is softening up. ...
Read more

Why the world was wrong about Putin | Analysis

By
Image
Why the world was wrong about Putin | Analysis People are packing up in their cars. They're getting out of here. A few days before I found myself standing there on the edge of Kharkiv, watching those first tank shells hit into the apartment blocks in Saltyvka, my editor, Louis Emmanuel, had asked me to come up with something to be published on the day of the war, if the war began, explaining to readers why this was happening. And I was hoping it would never be published. It was, and the answer I came up with was, probably in the simple balance of power. I quote it, Russia's military is at its strongest and most capable since the Cold War. Its public finances are also in good order, and Mr Putin may believe he is well placed to bear the costs of the conflict and inevitable sanctions. We'll come back to that in a second. The West is conversely at a moment of historic econo...
Read more

Ukraine War: What missiles have Russia fired?

By
Image
Ukraine War: What missiles have Russia fired? I mean, he caveated his remarks so that he wasn't departing from the official government line, which is that Ukraine makes the calls here when Ukraine's ready, then Ukraine may negotiate. But the fact that he, that comment we were taking out of context, and people will say that Rishi Sunak believes that there has to be a negotiation at, so at what point are we going to lean on the Ukrainians to negotiate? And I think that in Kiev, I think it won't be very, they won't welcome the fact that he said it. It's also, it's just not true that all wars end at the negotiating table. It's a line we've heard from the beginning, right from the start. People should read a book occasionally. The Second World War did not end in negotiation. One of yours perhaps. Yes. The First World War did not end in a meaningful negotia...
Read more