Junior doctors and members of the British Medical Association (BMA) on the picket line outside Cheltenham General Hospital during their continuing dispute over pay, January 8, 2024HEALTH SECRETARY Wes Streeting ranted on live radio today as thousands of resident doctors began their five-day strike in England.
He unleashed a tirade on LBC after north London doctor Niraj told him that “we all care about patient safety, none of us wants to be on strike, I would rather be at work today.”
The British Medical Association (BMA) called the 13th strike by doctors since March 2023, having long called for their pay to be restored to pre-austerity rates.
Despite rises by Labour, it remains about a fifth down on its real-terms value in 2008.
Mr Streeting clashed angrily after Niraj raised his union’s concerns over a lack of training places and other workforce issues.
He accused doctors of “inflicting pain and misery” on patients and holding them to ransom by its “extremely irresponsible” action.
The Health Secretary claimed the “extremely unnecessary” strikes were shocking given patients receive “a substandard service” and that the BMA was speaking for its “activists” rather than their members.
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