Resident doctors strike as talks collapse

ODN

Thousands of resident doctors have begun a five-day strike across England after pay talks with the Government broke down. From the picket line at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, Dr Melissa Ryan, Co-Chair of the BMA Resident Doctors Committee, said that doctors are disheartened to be striking again, having given the Government ample time to make a fair offer. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

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00:00What do we want? Fair faith!

00:02When do we want it? Now!

00:03What do we want? Fair faith!

00:07I think you'll find that doctors are a sort of retiring lot.

00:12We don't want to make a fuss, we don't want to be out on strike.

00:14I would rather be at work, I should be at work.

00:16I should be on a post-NATO ward looking after babies in Nottingham.

00:21And I think lots of doctors are frustrated that we're being forced into the position to go out on strike again.

00:28We gave the government ample time to come up with an offer.

00:32So Mr Streeting last year had said he recognises our pay erosion.

00:36It should be a journey, not an event, to restore our pay.

00:40We've asked him for the next step of the journey and he's failed to deliver on that.

00:44So here we are.

00:49We're on strike here today because we don't feel valued.

00:51So a first year doctor is paid just £18 an hour.

00:54We're asking for that to be around £23 an hour.

00:57And I think the vast majority of people think that's reasonable.

01:00You know on top of that we're graduating with over £100,000 of debt.

01:04So I'm personally in £120,000 of student debt.

01:07On top of that I had to pay for a mandatory exam two weeks ago which cost £502.

01:11So all in all doctors aren't feeling valued.

01:14And I think pay is the way that you make doctors feel valued.

01:17And I think pay is the way that you're doing it.

01:19And I think it's very important.

01:21Thank you very much.

01:23Thank you very much.

01:24Thanks.

01:25Thank you very much.

01:26I think that's a great.

01:27Thank you so much.

01:28Thank you very much.

01:29Thank you very much

01:30I know.

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