14 Feb 2016

my week #200

Happy Chinese new year to you all :)

It's been a scary week for all doctors and NHS workers here in the UK and it looks like it'll be stormy times ahead for the next few years at least. As a penultimate year medical student and having spoken to fellow students and junior doctors, many of us share the same emotion: fear. Fear that the NHS will no longer exist, fear that we won't be working within safe conditions and fear that all the years we've put in so far have gone to waste because being a doctor is no longer emotionally, socially or financially viable.

Going into this profession, the majority of us are aware of the sacrifices we will make: socially because we'll be working long hours, evenings, nights and weekends; financially because our salary is pretty poor as a junior doctor (see here if you don't believe me) and physically (shift work can have negative effects on health!). To take away the current safeguards (which, in my opinion, aren't all that great anyway) and compensation for unsocial hours is an insult - both to the workers but also to the patients.


How was your week?

8 comments

  1. Although I'm physically very far away from the UK at the moment, I've still been keeping a close eye on this because I know people studying medicine or working in hospitals. What the government is doing is absolutely inexcusable, and I'm my heart and support to all of you!

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    1. Great to hear :) I think on the whole, the general public can see the truth underneath it all (and the truth being that the government seem intent on destroying the NHS) x

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  2. Sorry you have to go through this. It's f***ed. There's a lot of solidarity from doctors here in Australia for NHS docs. It has been dominating my social media feeds for months. We all know how bloody hard junior doctors work and we all know doctors who have come over from the UK and shared the horror stories of unsafe rosters & working hours. My thoughts are with you.

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    1. Thanks! I met some Aussie surgeons a few weeks' back but never had the chance to ask what they thought about the changes. (Thought it was interesting that they chose to come to the UK when many British doctors actively choose to go to Australia!) x

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  3. Dear Angela, i always enjoy your posts and really admire your neatness and organisation!I have had cause to use the NHS on several occasions recently and can assure that buffoon Hunt that we already have a 24/7 service. The care from all staff, doctors etc. was first rate, and I hope all the British public get behind you.

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    1. Thanks for your support, Mark! As a future junior doctor, it's great to hear these things from patients. We'll just have to see how this one plays out - it's going to be one hell of a battle that's for sure x

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  4. You are invited every Wednesday to participate in our link up party at Planner Fun (all free inserts), called The Planner Experience. I hope you'll come by and link up one of your planner posts.

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    1. Hi Becky, thanks so much for the invitation! Drop me an email at angela @ paperlovestory.com with more info and I'm sure we can work something out :) x

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