Question Time audience member runs through myths about junior doctors – but nobody’s accepting a word of it

Last Updated: April 22, 2016By

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This Writer missed Question Time this week because I had been attending an education-based hustings here in Brecon and Radnorshire – and I knew something feisty was bound to happen.

It is a joy to see that the sparks flew when someone criticised the junior doctors, showing that public support is still massively in favour of the people who already make huge sacrifices to heal us from injury and illness.

Junior doctors shouldn’t have to make any more sacrifices to satisfy an ignorant flunky like Jeremy Hunt.

An angry woman’s furious and bizarre rant against ‘greedy’ junior doctors earned her some angry boos from the audience on Question Time .

The audience member [interrupted] a junior doctor, who was explaining that the public are on the side of the striking doctors.

She began: “Nobody makes you work extra hours. You opt in for it. I’m sorry, it’s absolute rubbish.”

She claimed she used to work in A&E, before declaring that “in any job” you opt in or out of overtime.

She went on to make the astonishing claim that overworked junior doctors are just in it for the money – which did not go down well with the rest of the audience.

She said: “They do 79 hours because they push at the weekend because they want more money. It’s true.”

“You can’t force anybody to do over the 50 hours a week. They choose to physically do it. They put the patients at risk themselves.”

“I’m sorry, it’s all about money and it’s wrong.”

She then drifted into a bizarre argument comparing junior doctors legally withdrawing their labour to soldiers going AWOL.

“Anybody who goes AWOL should be sacked,” she fumed. “If you was in the military you’d be arrested for going AWOL.”

As the atmosphere in the room turned decidedly frosty, and people started to boo, she remonstrated: “…no….no…”

She went on: “The NHS don’t want them going off work. They are technically going AWOL. They are not turning up for their shifts, making people anxious by cancelling appointments. It’s their choice.”

“I’m sorry, anybody else in any other job would be sacked for that.”

For the record…

It is illegal to sack any worker who takes part in legally organised and balloted industrial action.

The junior doctors dispute has nothing to do with overtime. Doctors are striking because the Department of Health want to pay them less for hours they’re mandated to do.

Saturday day times and the hours between 7pm and 10pm on weekdays are to be reclassified as “core hours” under the new contract, which means they’ll be paid at a lower rate.

Doctors also argue the removal of financial penalties for employers who subject trainees to “fatiguing” working patterns could lead to hours being driven up, which would put patients at risk.

Source: Angry woman booed by Question Time audience after bizarre rant against junior doctors – Mirror Online

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6 Comments

  1. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) April 22, 2016 at 10:48 am - Reply

    What did that lady expect to gain from her uneducated and stupid remarks?

  2. Barry Davies April 22, 2016 at 10:55 am - Reply

    “If you was in the military you’d be arrested for going AWOL.” sounds like someone who may have worked in a/e but not in any medical or allied health provision position,e.g. Nurse radiographer etc., judging by the diction.

  3. hayfords April 22, 2016 at 1:44 pm - Reply

    I would be interested in hearing in what capacity that she worked in A&E. She was a bit extreme in the way she described striking as being AWOL, but I agree with her overall argument. I do thing it is just about money. I have spoken to several GPs who think the same.

    • Mike Sivier April 23, 2016 at 9:27 am - Reply

      Yeah? It’s easy to say that and ultimately means nothing – because it can’t be proven, even if you provide the GPs’ names.
      As for you thinking it’s just about money, I have a little infographic here, showing you that it’s a little more complicated than that: Junior doctor dispute explained

  4. mrmarcpc April 22, 2016 at 3:48 pm - Reply

    I watched QT last night and saw this silly, clueless bitch ranting on, and could tell she knew nothing about what the subject matter was, just rambling drivel to confuse and turn the public against the doctors, was more than likely a tory stooge placed in the audience to stir up hate towards the doctors, but it’s not going to work, the public is behind them and not CHunt and the government!

  5. Michele Eve April 23, 2016 at 10:43 am - Reply

    Ok, let’s just assume it’s all about the money for these junior doctors. Does that change the number of hours that are required to achieve Mr Hunt’s ideal 24/7 NHS? Does it change the risk of over-working over-all? Does it change safety levels for patients? Does it affect the increase in demand for the NHS services? Not really. However (in the strict terms of being about the money), paying junior doctors less, by whatever method, will see an exodus of said doctors to more profitable organisations. You know, just like they advocate for the finance and corporate industries.

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