Junior doctors will strike for three days in December if a ballot produces the widely expected go-ahead for industrial action in protest at a new contract, their union has announced.
The NHS has 45,000 trainee doctors in England. On a first strike day, they would provide only emergency care for 24 hours starting at 8am on Tuesday 1 December, reducing hospitals to the low level of service usually seen on Christmas Day.
The British Medical Association said junior doctors would walk out over a new contract being imposed on them, if their ongoing ballot approves industrial action. The ballot closes Wednesday 18 November, and the result will be made public the next day. The union insists the new proposed contract is unsafe for patients and unfair for doctors.
Hospitals are bracing themselves for having to cancel thousands of planned operations and outpatient clinics if, junior doctors only provide emergency care for 24 hours on Tuesday 1 December, before staging two all-out walkouts on Tuesday 8 December and Wednesday 16 December.
We’d like to hear from junior doctors ahead of the proposed strike action. Are you prepared to go on strike in protest against the new contract? How long would you be prepared to strike for, and would you agree to an all-out strike in the longer term? Do you think you will be supported by your colleagues?
We’d also like to hear from consultants. Why do you think it is important for junior doctors to take strike action? Do you agree with the proposed walkout in December, and are you prepared to cover for the junior doctors who will be taking part?
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