Junior sympathies

Anthony Seaton appears to be wholly unsympathetic to English junior doctors continuing Strikes. I too am a retired doctor and the son of a doctor practicing before and after the NHS began in 1948. He fails to refer to the 28 per cent reduction in real terms which has driven doctors to unprecedented action.

He fails to mention that unlike our generation young doctors today can have student loans of £100,000 to repay and it is increased with interest at 6 per cent per annum.

He fails to mention they don't have a mess with a butler lookingafterthemaswedid,indeed many hospitals do not provide rest areas. Nor that they have to commute after shifts rather than live in the hospital.

Young doctors in Scotland have died when exhausted after 100 hour in a week shifts [now banned]. Also the night shifts we did covered only our own specialty nowadays it’s the whole hospital.

Moreover at the end their pensions will in no way match ours and the contribution they make at 14 per cent currently means the government make a huge profit [estimated £4.5 billion]. Even as a junior they pay 20 per cent Income tax, 10 per cent NIC, 9 per cent student loan repayment, and 8 per cent pension on a devalued income. If I were a Junior I would be on strike and waving placards and yes chanting to keep up spirits in the face of an intransigent government. Meantime emigration rates soar.

In Scotland the government negotiated, made an offer of 17.5 per cent over two years and a promise of restoration over time this was agreed in a vote and strikes averted.

Richard Simpson OBE, FRCGP, Frcpsych, DPM,

DIPSHEB Honorary Professor Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport

University of Stirling