DR. MAX PEMBERTON: I voted against the strike without hesitation. We cannot treat our patients as pawns

My roots are in the working class. My father was a milkman and my family has a long history of union involvement.

But when I was given the opportunity to vote in the British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctor election – based on my decision to retrain in a new specialty during the pandemic – I voted against a strike without hesitation.

It is fundamentally wrong when doctors refuse to work.

We have many legitimate concerns about pay, workloads and conditions in hospitals, and chronic mismanagement in the NHS, but treating patients as pawns in our campaign is simply not right.

The public will see us as mercenaries. It is arrogant of doctors to ignore the fact that medicine still offers a job for life – and a lucrative one.

We have many legitimate concerns about pay, workloads and conditions in hospitals, and chronic mismanagement in the NHS, but treating patients as pawns in our campaign is simply not right

dr Max Pemberton: There’s no doubt the role isn’t paying that well now. I blame both the BMA and the government

The starting base salary for junior doctors is £30,000, a figure that is gradually increasing each year.

In addition, there are co-payments for stand-by services on non-working days or unsocial working hours such as night shifts. Vacation and sick pay are also generous.

In addition, young doctors can potentially earn more than £90,000 a year just four years after completing their GP or specialist training.

In the noughties, before I became a psychiatrist, I worked as an intern.

There’s no doubt the role isn’t paying that well now. I blame both the BMA and the government.

The union has let wage packages slip and is now trying to cover up their failure with ultra-aggressive demands.

But aiming for a 35 percent raise during a livelihood crisis is not viable. It sends out a message that doctors only care about money, and that’s extremely damaging.

And it’s truly shocking that tens of thousands of appointments are being canceled when waiting lists are at an all-time high.

I care so much about this that I’m willing to cross pickets. And believe me, this is not a decision I take lightly.

The real problem – one that shocked me when I returned to training – is the moral collapse among young doctors.

While we used to work grueling 24-hour shifts (which have since been rightly pigeonholed), we at least worked in well-rehearsed teams and got to know the consultants we learned from.

It’s common these days to only meet with senior staff once or twice before rosters get messed up again.

Worse still is the impact of student debt, which can leave young doctors £100,000 in the red after med school.

It’s debilitating, emotionally and financially. The government used to pay for university education, including medical school, which encouraged a sense of obligation to your employer.

The real problem – one that shocked me when I returned to training – is the moral collapse among young doctors

While we used to work grueling 24-hour shifts (which have since been rightly pigeonholed), we at least worked in well-rehearsed teams and got to know the consultants we learned from

That feeling is now gone, replaced for many by a deep resentment. The result: Countless doctors resign every year, either disillusioned or exhausted. A higher wage doesn’t help either.

Even if we get the 35 per cent increase there will still be too many doctors in a few years’ time leaving the NHS because they are exhausted or frustrated.

The BMA should have been more creative in its demands. This would have garnered much more public support than asking for more money.

The NHS is currently spending £3billion a year on agency staff to fill gaps in rosters. But if the government abolished fees for medical students, it could cost as little as £500m.

This could be on condition that doctors agree to work for the NHS for at least 10 years. If they left earlier, they would have to pay something back.

This would solve some recruitment and retention problems and result in young doctors starting their careers debt-free.

The BMA should demand that. Striking for higher wages when so many are struggling simply alienates the people we have come into the profession to help: our patients.