Doctor's Renegotiated Contract

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What do people make of the current attempt by the government to change the doctors' contracts.
It seems to me that there is two sides of the coin, and seeing the problem simplistically.
The government wants to create the same kind of medical cover at the weekend that currently exists during weekdays. Nowt wrong with that, except the government want to do so at a no-cost solution.

The doctors claim that this will reduce the cover during the week, because there are no more resources being put in to the plan. They also argue that they will end up working more weekends with no extra pay.

Should the medical profession be similar to other emergency services? Therefore should there be 24 X 7 elective cover.

As is covered in another thread, the government are insisting on a change of contract, therefore, supposedly, the doctors can take it or leave it.
 
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If we were in a free market economy then the pay would be set at a level which attracted sufficient suitable workers to do the evening and weekend work. If too many workers wanted to do the weekday daytime shifts, and too few wanted to do the Saturday night shift, we would reduce the pay rates for the popular, and increase them for the unpopular hours.
 
I don't know enough about it really but logic would dictate that to provide seven days service instead of five would require forty per cent more staff. I assume emergency service is already available at the weekends.

Merely spreading the appointments over seven days instead of five would seem to be pointless.
 
As I understand it, John, that's basically what is happening now, with the proviso that weekend/evening work is overtime, and paid substantially better, but in addition to basic pay.
Hence why some junior doctors are working 90 hours a week.
The government contract renegotiation wants to limit those hours to about 70 hours per week, and reduce the payment for unsocial hours.
 
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its easy to understand
a 11% increase at no cost to the taxpayer means someone is lying or one group is loosing perhaps up to 25% -30% to pay for it
 
In order to get a Saturday or Sunday appointment, wouldn't you have to call on the Tuesday of the week before last?
 
In order to get a Saturday or Sunday appointment, wouldn't you have to call on the Tuesday of the week before last?
At my doctors, you'd have to phone in about 6 months before.
Anyway, this thing about doctors pay is yet another attack on the NHS by the government. They want another two days cover at hospitals, but at no cost. Simple maths proves this just can't be done (perhaps Jeremy Hunt, needs to go back to school) If this contract is forced upon doctors, the next target is nurses and HCA's, housekeepers, kitchen staff, porters and all those ancillary workers who keep the NHS going.
The government are also on about changing the bursary system for student nurses, so they become fee paying students. This means a future nurse would qualify with at least £20,000 worth of debt. (why they made the nursing profession a degree course anyway, is anyone's idea) Government say these changes will attract more people into the profession. My personal thoughts are that it won't. Perhaps they should set up some sort of apprenticeship for the nursing profession and attract school leavers into it ? Drop the degree status. (years ago it was never a degree course, so what's changed?) I do know some nurses who have qualified, then sought employment on graduate trainee programs, in companies which have nothing to do with the healthcare industry.
Coming soon,,,,, degree courses in shelf stacking. :LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::rolleyes:
 
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