20 June 2012

And tomorrow is another day

Tomorrow is the BMA day of action. As previously stated here I will be taking part in the industrial action as it is something I feel passionately about.

In the last year I have regularly worked on rotas that are in excess of 60 hours per week, and my personal best was in the region of 94 hours. For this I get a salary much lower than you would actually expect a doctor to be on. My basic pay is similar to that of a newly qualified nurse although I get 'banding' for jobs that have antisocial elements to them. I can guarantee it really isn't worth it.

By the time I am 68 I don't want to be busting a gut to carry on working my backside off just so I can claim my pension. My pension, which by the way, is being reduced by the government to an average salary pension and I am now paying greater pension contributions from my wages.

At the moment the long term prospects in medicine seem less than rosy, and this needs to change.

If you want impassioned doctors who care about patients and who aren't exhausted, jaded and financially much worse off in our older years, then support doctors tomorrow who are taking action.

I became a doctor because I always knew that this is what I wanted to do. I adore working with talented and well educated staff to make patient care our first priority, but something has to change. If it doesn't, we're all screwed.

2 comments:

kilo hotel said...

Good on you.

John Lassider said...

I hope this letter finds you well. I came across your blog on medical training. I would like to introduce you to an exciting social media platform that connects health care providers with patients, which I believe you may find interesting based on your current use of social media. Check this interesting article out: http://on.mktw.net/MGSd5p