Tens of thousands of junior doctors in England are to walk out today on the first of three days of strike action planned over pay.
Ahead of what is predicted to be one of the single biggest days of industrial action in a significant period of time, with civil servants, teachers, university staff, BBC journalists, and more who are members of several trade unions, all walk out on Budget Day this Wednesday (15 March), tens of thousands of junior doctors are staging three days of strikes over pay – with the first being today.
Following a huge vote in favour of their longest-ever period of industrial action, junior doctors – who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) in England – will form picket lines outside hospitals across the country.
The BMA said newly-qualified medics make just £14.09 an hour, and added that junior doctors in England will have suffered a 26% real-terms pay cut since 2008/09.
The union also claimed they earn less than a barista in a coffee shop.
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Thanks to this Government, junior doctors can now make more money serving coffee than saving patients.
It comes after popular chain Pret a Manger announced that it would be giving staff their third pay rise in 12 months amid the rising cost of living crisis – meaning they are able to earn up to £14.10 an hour, based on location and experience.
“Thanks to this government you can make more serving coffee than saving patients,” the BMA said in its campaign launching the industrial action.
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“This week, junior doctors will take strike action so they are paid what they are worth.”
Tens of thousands of junior doctors in England begin three-day strike over pay / Credit: BMA
As junior doctors nationwide report struggling with their finances more than ever before, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairmen of the BMA junior doctors committee, explained why the union members are striking.
“Is £14.09 an hour really all junior doctors are worth?,” they asked.
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“These are people who can be providing life-saving care, having trained intensively at medical school, and racking up around £100,000 worth of debt in the process. We are fully supportive of any worker getting an inflation-matching pay rise, and it is worth thinking on the fact that the government has cut junior doctors’ pay by so much that they could earn more serving coffee.
“Is it any surprise that junior doctors are looking for jobs abroad or in other fields when the government is telling them they are worth more than a quarter less than they were in 2008?
“Losing such valuable clinicians to other countries and professions when waiting lists are at record highs means patients will suffer even more than they are already.
“This is why doctors are going on strike.”
Junior doctors have voted YES to strike action in England.
“We are fighting to restore our value. We are fighting to restore our workforce to make the NHS an effective healthcare system again.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said the strike action being staged by junior doctors this week is “incredibly disappointing”, and claims the the BMA had declined his offer to “enter formal pay negotiations on the condition strikes are paused”.
He also warned of disruption over the coming days.
“We have been working closely with NHS England on contingency plans to help protect patient safety during strikes, prioritising emergency, urgent and critical care – but there will inevitably be some disruption for patients,” Mr Barclay concluded.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also urged junior doctors to “accept the government’s offer to come in and have talks, the other unions have done that and we are making progress.”
Featured Image – BMA
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The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home
Emily Sergeant
The Council is now offering financial help to support people moving into a smaller and ‘more manageable’ property.
Ever heard of ‘rightsizing? Well, according Manchester City Council it’s a process where a tenant in a larger social rent, Council, or Housing Association property, that may have more rooms than they need or perhaps are struggling to manage a big house as they get older, can be supported into a smaller property that better suits their needs.
The benefits of this process include cheaper bills, lower rents, and overall, just homes that are easier to clean and manage.
The aim of it is also to free up larger Council properties for families who are on the housing register – of which there are said to be around 20,000 of them currently at this time, with larger homes having some of the most significant wait times.
Are you struggling to look after a big Council or housing association home? We can help!
We are offering £2,500 to help people move into a smaller more manageable home, freeing up larger homes for families that need them.
It’s also estimated, according to the Council, that a third of all social rented family homes are thought to ‘underoccupied’.
This is why financial support and grants are now being offered.
Last year alone, 109 households were helped to ‘rightsize’ and were supported in the process by a dedicated team of Council officers, as well as benefitting from the Rightsizing Incentive Scheme – with a further 432 households having expressed interest doing so in the future.
Residents interested in ‘rightsizing’ could get a cash incentive of £2,500, which can be spent on anything they like, along with moving costs.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“Rightsizing could be a brilliant option for older people who are renting a Council home who may have spare rooms they don’t need or would benefit from looking after a smaller property,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development.
“Often a barrier to moving is the cost, but the Council will take care of the financial burden to help a resident move into a new home.
“The benefit for the city is that we can free up more larger homes for people who are waiting for a property that properly meets their needs. We think around a third of Council tenants could be under occupying their home, which means they could be paying more than they need to or they could be hit with the bedroom tax.”
Does this sound like you? Are you ready to ‘rightsize’? Find out more and begin the process via Manchester City Council’s website here.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Trailer released for Netflix’s new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’
Emily Sergeant
The trailer for Netflix’s new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby has been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby – the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital – hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film – simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby – is described as being the most ‘comprehensive’ look at one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given ‘unparalleled and exclusive access’ to those central to the story.
“This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility,” commented director, Dominic Sivyer. “Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case.”
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions – who produced the documentary – added: “The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone’s perspectives with care and understanding.
“We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th March 2023 
