A Sidcup doctor is bitterly upset about the upcoming April strikes that will see emergency care unmanned by junior medics.
Osman Khalid, 28, of Pembury Crescent, is one of many health care professionals taking part in the UK’s first ever full walkout by junior doctors.
The unprecedented move is in reaction to a new government contract that would require the young medics to accept standard pay for weekend shifts - imposing a seven-day service with five-day funding.
Dr Khalid is one of 45,000 NHS junior docs who will be affected by the contract
Dr Khalid, feels that the industrial action set for next Tuesday and Wednesday - including the removal of all emergency care - is a difficult but unavoidable after talks with the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt failed.
Dr Khalid, who is about to start work at Woolwich’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: “Everybody wants the strike to be called off.
“I have not met a single doctor who wants to strike but with Hunt making his views more extreme we have had to escalate.
“I do not know what happens after that - anecdotally we’re talking about a mass resignation.
“I think it is disappointing that they brought the talks to such an abrupt end.
“We want to see our patients and get on with our jobs but we’re having to be political champions.”
Dr Khalid believes that members of the public can help by writing to their MP, demanding that pressure be put on the government to renegotiate talks with the British Medical Association - the union that represents the junior doctors.
At the moment any of the 45,000 NHS trainee medics working 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday, or at weekends, receive a premium rate of pay for doing so.
Junior doctors across the country are set to take part in the next set of strikes
But the Government wants to change that with a Saturday day shift being paid at a normal rate in return for a 13.5 per cent hike in basic pay.
It has also been suggested that doctors working one-in-four or more Saturdays will receive a pay premium of 30 per cent for all Saturday hours worked.
Dr Khalid has received support from his patients in regards to his decision to strike and wants to stress the fact that senior doctors will be on call to deal with medical emergencies.
Both strikes will start at 8am and finish at 5pm.
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