Doctors Threaten Further Action over Pension Reforms
The dispute between the Government and doctors in the UK seems to have escalated, with doctors calling for further industrial action to be taken over pension reforms.
The implications of this could mean another day of skeleton service, similar to that practiced on Christmas Day, whereby there are only enough doctors on standby for emergencies. The possibility of this looked more likely after the British Medical Association (BMA) conference in Bournemouth, where the majority voted for the motion of more industrial action.
This follows action, where doctors boycotted service for the first time in almost four decades, leaving only urgent care on the agenda. The knock on effect of this meant almost a fifth of GP practices across the UK were effected, leading to 2,703 operations being postponed and a further 18,757 outpatient appointments being rescheduled, according to data recorded by strategic health authorities in England.
The move has come after doctors initially planned and executed industrial action in reference to senior civil servants, who despite paying only half what doctors pay into pension funds, receive the same pension once they retire. The move is said to be in seeking “fairness, and not any special treatment”, according to a member of the BMA.
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