Doctors ‘deeply cynical and dangerous’ for going on strike during election campaign
I know how hard doctors work but going on strike during a general election campaign season is madness, says James Whale.
If you thought the BMA was serious about trying to secure better conditions and wages for its members, rather than simply trying to wreck a Tory government, you’d better think again. The Junior Doctors’ latest planned strikes, from June 27 to July 2, have been organised knowing full-well that election rules forbid ministers negotiating.
That means they will achieve nothing, except inconvenience millions of patients and staff and put lives in danger. Oh, and make things as difficult as possible for the Government in the run-up to the general election on July 4 in their ongoing bid to remove them from power.
Look, I’m sorry to be so blunt but this is just bloody wrong on every level.
As somebody who relies on the NHS to keep me going, I know how hard they work, I know how committed they are and I know their feelings about management. We all know that. But this is just madness writ large.
Doctors happy to go on strike during an election when we’re about to have a change of government is just not right. It’s deeply cynical and it’s dangerous. Anyone who supports this action is, frankly, in the wrong job.
They need to wake up and smell reality before they lose all their public support and sight of what they’re here for: to save lives. Whatever happens on July 4, the next government needs to finally get to grips with the NHS. It’s a marvellous organisation staffed on the whole by people who care, but it’s become an albatross around the neck of the nation.
It needs streamlining, and re-focusing on patient care. That was what it was created for. And we need to stop using it as a political football. Simply pumpin
