Junior doctors in Wales have begun 72-hour strike action today (Monday 15 January) in a dispute over pay.
The walkout from 7am today to 7am on 18 January could see more than 3,000 doctors at picket lines outside all of Wales’ main hospital sites. A mass demonstration outside the Welsh parliament building on Tuesday 16 January has also been planned.
A total of 98% of junior doctors who took part in a ballot for industrial action last year voted to strike as part of a campaign to restore their pay, which they stated has been eroded by almost a third since 2008/9.
Members of the Welsh junior doctors committee were balloted for action in August after receiving a 5% pay offer, which they said was below inflation and lower than the amount recommended by the review body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration. This offer came four months after the Welsh government initially declared they would commit to pay restoration back in April 2023.
Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey, co-chairs of the British Medical Association Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee, said: “A doctor starting their career in Wales will earn as little as £13.65 an hour and for that they could be performing lifesaving procedures and taking on huge levels of responsibility. We aren’t asking for a pay rise, we are asking for our pay to be restored in line with inflation back to 2008 levels.
“Pay needs to be fair and competitive with other healthcare systems across the world to retain and recruit doctors and NHS staff to provide much-needed care. On top of this, junior doctors are experiencing worsening conditions, and so doctors are now looking to leave Wales to develop their careers for better pay and a better quality of life elsewhere.”
Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, added: “It’s a concern for NHS leaders that this industrial action will be taking place on one of the most pressurised weeks of the year, following recent weeks of significant winter pressures. NHS leaders know staff do not take the decision to strike lightly, as we all know the impact it has on patients and colleagues. The focus is now on mitigating risks as far as possible.”