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Thousands of junior doctors in England begin three-day strike today over pay

"Thanks to this government you can make more serving coffee than saving patients”

The Hoot The Hoot - 13th March 2023

Tens of thousands of junior doctors across England are to walk out today on the first of three days of strike action planned over pay.

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 for the next three days.

It takes place 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).

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.

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.

“This week, junior doctors will take strike action so they are paid what they are worth.”

Doctors on strike.
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.

“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.”

“We are fighting to restore our pay,” they added.

“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.”

Read more: GB News has reported losses of £31 million after its first year on air

Featured Image – BMA

News

Plans to turn one of Leeds’ most historic buildings into padel courts approved

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.

Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.

Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.

Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.

Image: Supplied

The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.

The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.

At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.

The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.

Image: Supplied

Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.

Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.

"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.

"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”

Read more: Two giant balloon dog sculptures by acclaimed international artist have landed in Leeds

Featured image - Supplied

News

New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.

If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.

In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.

To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.

They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.

Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.

Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.

The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:

  1. Edinburgh
  2. Liverpool
  3. Birmingham
  4. Bristol
  5. Belfast
  6. Leeds
  7. Glasgow
  8. Cardiff
  9. Manchester
  10. London

Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”

Read more from The Hoot Leeds: ‘This Yorkshire city has it all’ – Leeds crowned as one of the UK’s most underrated city breaks

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds


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