Junior doctors deserve a better pay deal

SIR – I supported the junior doctors’ strikes this week (Letters, March 15) and have particular sympathy for the most junior.

Having supported a son during his medical degree, I have experience of the financial demands placed on both students and parents. In addition to their commitments during term time, students spend their holidays doing hospital placements. This means that the usual temporary student jobs are not an option, or extremely difficult to factor in to an exacting course.

In my experience there was no additional funding available. Doctors’ new careers should be supported by adequate pay.

Phyll Hodge

Eastbourne, East Sussex

SIR – I am a long retired physician who took the Hippocratic Oath upon graduation. I have a copy of the Declaration of a New Doctor. One of the clauses states: “I shall never intentionally cause harm to my patients”. In striking, doctors broke this promise.

I believe that senior members of the profession should take some action to make this clear to the public, as well as to doctors. When I was practising we worked day and night, with no set hours, so we could never calculate our salary as so much per hour. It was not very large, however, and I am sure many in other forms of employment received far more than us.

Lorna Lees FRCPED

Kelso, Roxburghshire