Scots Students Support Junior Doctors

Scottish medical students are protesting against imposed cuts on Junior Doctors in England.

A demo took place in Dundee this evening, with many angry at contractual changes which will cut the pay of already-overstretched staff. 

Many Fife patients rely on specialist services South of the border. The UK Government have offered an 11% salary rise, but plan to cut their 'antisocial' hours pay. Doctors south of the border say they are also concerned about patient safety among other worries about the proposed new contract offered by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt MP.

Amy Fitzpatrick, one of the student organisers behind the demonstration, said:  

"The imposition of these contracts would remove safeguards which protect the wellbeing of doctors and, by extension, the safety of patients.'' 

"Over worked, exhausted and demoralised doctors will not be able to deliver an acceptable standard of care. Personally, I am worried about my training and the future of the NHS as a whole if these changes are foisted on to junior doctors in England."

Kingdom FM news spoke to several local junior doctors who agreed with Amy, they told us that they expect to train in both Scotland and England during the early years of training and have concerns about what different contracts in Scotland and England will mean in practice.

Dr Chris Sheridan works in psychiatry in Tayside and is chair of the Scottish BMA junior doctors committee.

He spoke to Kingdom FM news about the negotiations between the British Medical Association and the Government, how the contract was meant to be all for four nations originally and why talks broke down: